It's Just a Small favor
by Lady Fellshot
Summary: COMPLETE A questing paladin & a bard with itchy feet are asked to do some small tasks that are more complicated than they appear to be.
1. On the road to yet another tavern

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!  
  
******  
  
Two companions wandered up a road wending its way through the mountains. One was a pretty female half-elf with flaming red hair, creamy rose gold skin, slightly pointed ears and light brown eyes. The dark blue tunic and leggings she wore seemed better suited to a noble's court than the road. She carried an intricately carved recorder as well as a short sword at her side. The other was a tall, handsome young man with dark hair, fair skin and eyes as blue as a robin's egg. He wore shining silver chainmail and the symbol of Tyr was stitched to his surcoat. He might have been mistaken as a cleric of that faith had it not been for the sword and shield at his side. "Teilla, you're sure this is the way to your uncle Gorbsen's tavern?" he asked his travel-mate. "This road doesn't seem very well traveled by the merchants. How are you related to him anyway?"  
  
Teilla, with the classic redhead temper, said irritably, "It's none of your business, Ricardt, but he's human. My mother's younger brother if you must know the details."  
  
"What is his establishment like?" Ricardt asked curiously.  
  
"I seem to remember it being friendly mostly. Mother always said that he liked people and stories of far off places. From what I've heard, Whizban is the place to go for stories, especially during the harvest festivals. There was something odd about the town though..."  
  
"I've heard some of the priests speak of these festivals. Mostly in disapproving words."  
  
"And...? Have any of them actually been to one of these festivals?"  
  
"Well... not that I know of."  
  
"Then how would they know what it's like?" Teilla smirked at the flustered knight. "Aren't you supposed to of on judgment anyway, o blessed of Tyr?"  
  
He sighed, "I think I'm trapped by your logic." He looked through the forest of evergreens, "Anyway, we ought to be entering the valley soon now."  
  
After a few more miles of walking, the trees cleared into the valley where the outpost of Whizban resided. The bard and the paladin could see a large abbey dominated the town proper. A few buildings surrounded the temple and tents were going up in a field beyond the southernmost buildings. As the pair got closer, they could see a few pack trains coming from the northeast valley trail and from the southern trail as well. There seemed to be lots of activity around the tents.  
  
"Well, it looks like we'll be around for one of the infamous harvest festivals," Teilla quipped. Ricardt declined to respond.  
  
As they got closer to the town proper, a rather squat figure came jogging up the trail towards them. As the newcomer got within viewing distance, Ricardt's jaw started to drop and even Tiella's eyes widened at his appearance. He did not stand taller than the paladin's shoulder, but was as thickly muscled as a wrestler and looked like he outweighed the human by thirty pounds at least. His sloping forehead, greenish skin and tusks proclaimed orcish ancestry, but his barrel chest, dark eyes and thick black goatee suggested something distinctly dwarven. His trousers and tunic were a practical russet brown and his black bracers and sash bore the skeletal hand scale of Kelemvor. He approached the half-elf and human with a business like manner and asked them in a bass rumble, "State your business coming to Whizban."  
  
Teilla recovered quicker than Ricardt and responded, "Teilla Hawksman and Ricardt Arniss to see Gorbsen Cotoman."  
  
"I've been told you were coming soon. So, I'll run through the standard questions before you are granted entry to Whizban. Do you come with peaceful intentions?"  
  
"Yes, we do."  
  
"You are not going to start fights with anyone, regardless of race or religion?"  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Fair enough if you keep your word, woe betide you if you don't. Last question: did you annoy any pixies on the way here?"  
  
"Ummm... no we didn't," Teilla was a bit confused with the last question.  
  
"Any questions before you start wandering through Whizban?"  
  
Ricardt finally recovered his voice, "Who and what are you?"  
  
"My apologies. I am Zorac the constable. As for my race, my mother was a dwarf and my father is speculated to have been an orc," Zorac stated in a flat tone.  
  
Teilla could hear the "wanna make something of it" that underscored Zorac's response and cut off Ricardt before the paladin could work up a retort. "Could you tell me how to find uncle Gorbsen's tavern?" she asked politely.  
  
"Just after the watchtower, next to the brewery."  
  
"Thank you, Constable," and Teilla commenced to drag the taller paladin along by his collar. 


	2. Welcome to Whizban

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms deities are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!  
  
******  
  
As soon as they were out of earshot of Constable Zorac, Teilla let go of Ricardt and commenced to scold him, "What did you think you were doing, trying to pick a fight like that?"  
  
"But half orcs have no place in a peaceful society!" the paladin exclaimed with righteous indignation.  
  
"That depends on the half orc in question and I don't think the temple would let him be a monk if he didn't have the mindset." She noticed her travel companion's attention wander to something else. Her temper started to flare. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped and then she turned and saw what he was staring at.  
  
A pack of children were playing in the road, across from a weponsmithy and a blacksmithy. The proprietors of the shops and their wives were having a neighborly chat, enjoying the early evening as if all was right with the world. To Teilla and Ricardt, outsiders to the little town of Whizban, it was one of the most bizarre scenes they had ever seen in their young lives.  
  
The adults were an odd group. The blacksmith's wife was a normal, if large, human woman but her husband looked like a full blood orc. The weaponsmith and his lady were both half-elves but the smith had dusky grey skin indicating a dark elven parent.  
  
The children playing in the street had a somewhat normal contingent of humans, half elves, halflings and half orcs, but also youngsters with tails, skin of every possible color, hair that did all sorts of strange things and all sorts of other weird traits usually associated with mixed races.  
  
"I think we better go find your uncle now," Ricardt murmured next to her. Teilla nodded and they made their way to Gorbsen's tavern.  
  
******  
  
Uncle Gorbsen turned out to be a merry faced man of medium build and middle age. He had an easy, ambivalent manner about him which put his patrons at ease. His tavern was renowned for the good local ale it served. He extended a warm welcome to his niece and her travel partner ad treated them to a mug of the house specialty brew while catching up with Teilla's adventures since they'd last spoke. Ricardt kept quiet through most of the banter. Finally Gorbsen got down to the business at hand. "Well, I suppose you both are wondering why I asked you to come," he said.  
  
Teilla grinned, "It had crossed our minds."  
  
"Well, I've got a slight problem with a shipment of dwarven Brandy that was supposed to have shown up last week. Apparently they forgot that they needed to hire a pack train to get it here."  
  
"That doesn't sound good..."  
  
"It isn't, especially not with the Herb and Spell festival starting tomorrow. I can get the goods but it'll take a few days to argue prices with the dwarves. I'd appreciate it if you would mind they tavern while I'm away."  
  
Ricardt finally spoke up, "I don't think we're suited to this."  
  
Gorbsen turned to him and asked, "Why not?"  
  
The paladin shifted uncomfortably. "It's just... too strange a place," he said lamely.  
  
"Oh, you mean the variety of folks here. Most of the locals mind their own business and are pretty friendly once you get past surfaces."  
  
"What about the rowdies from out of town?" asked Teilla.  
  
"Let the watch deal with them," Gorbsen said reassuringly. "Zorac gets really tough with disturbers of the peace and Josie Kitten, his second in command, is a dab hand at stopping fights before they start. Anyway, this place is allied with so many different races and factions, it would be political suicide for anyone to take over."  
  
Ricardt looked mildly relieved and Teilla asked, "Any other things we should know?"  
  
"Well, the other drinking establishment in town is Sandra's place. She usually caters to a more high class crowd than I do, but with the festival on don't be surprised at who'll walk in here or there. How 'bout I take you over to meet her? She's really classy. Grew up around here."  
  
As they left the tavern and started walking toward the other end of town, Ricardt asked, "Why are there so many... different children here?"  
  
Gorbsen glanced at him and replied, "The monastery doubles as a reform school and orphanage so they come from all over. Also, about thirty years back, someone ticked off the local pixies and they put love potion in everything edible or drinkable in the area. That's where a large portion of the really strange mixes come from. Oddly, I'm told that everyone who was here for the love potion escapade had the best time ever, even if they can't seem to recall details." He chuckled. "Ah here we are." He pushed open the door to one of the lager two story buildings and went inside. The bard and the paladin followed.  
  
They were greeted by a cozily lit interior. The furniture, while slightly worn, was in good repair. A woman stood behind the bar and was talking with a very handsome man. The lady looked up and exclaimed, "Gorbsen! Nice of you to drop by! Is this young lady your esteemed niece?"  
  
"Sandra, this is Teilla and her partner Ricardt." The paladin's eyes got round again. sandra was an exotic beauty, dressed in white and rich shades of green. Her blue skin was flawless and her artfully twisted ebony tresses nearly hid the two small horns at her hairline. "Pleased to meet you," she said warmly. Ricardt took her proffered hand and bowed over it. Sandra gestured to the other half of her earlier conversation, who got up and came over. "This is Marco, an old friend from school."  
  
Of medium height and build , From a distance Marco would have seemed unremarkable. Up close, Teilla was having trouble taking her eyes off him and was suddenly a bit short of breath. He had flaming lustrous hair, grass green eyes and a ready grin that seemed to light up the whole room. Something about the way he moved suggested he had elf blood somewhere in his parentage. "Nice to meet you," he said and then turned to Teilla. "Say, didn't you compose the 'Ode to Summer' that has been migrating around the western plains?"  
  
Teilla flushed and nodded as Marco continued, "It's a good song. I hope you'll let me take a copy for the rest of the troupe from the temple of Oghma in Larston." He smiled at the blushing half elf.  
  
"Marco you're embarrassing her," Sandra sighed. 'She's not used to that much praise all at once. And you're glowing again."  
  
"Sorry about that," he grinned. "Is Miranda going to be able to make it this year?"  
  
"She should be. It looks like most of the old gang will be here this year. Oh, by the way, Miranda's new employer is likely to show up too."  
  
"Sounds like fun. I'll leave you to your new visitors then." Marco flashed one of his incandescent smiles, waved to all and wandered out the door.  
  
"Everyone else here is mixed, but what is he?" Teilla asked in a stunned voice.  
  
"He's got more than a bit of nymph blood that's all," Answered Sandra. "Anyhow, what's up Gorbsen?"  
  
"Just wanted to show Teilla and Ricardt around before I left," Teilla's uncle replied. "Oh and thanks for that case of elven liqueur."  
  
"It's nothing, just a thank you for your help cleaning up after that wizards duel in here last month."  
  
Ricardt was shocked. "Wizards duel?!" he choked out.  
  
"Yes," said Sandra. "Don't be so surprised! People do strange things after they've seen the bottom of their cups too many times. I've got a few scrolls of anti-magic field kept handy for just these situations, so you needn't worry about me for this week." She smiled at the paladin reassuringly. "Good luck minding Gorb's place. It's sure to get busy tomorrow."  
  
They said their farewells and walked back to Gorbsen's tavern. 


	3. Opening Chaos

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!

--)--------

"So you're staying to watch the tavern?" Gorbsen asked.

"I am. Tall, dark and clunky will probably stick around to make sure no one wrecks the place," Teilla told him.

"It's good that you'll have the extra set of hands then," Gorbsen grinned. " I better go and meet that wizard now. Good luck!" He ducked inside the tavern and returned with a backpack. "Most of the staff will be on hand so you don't have to worry so much about stirring the kettle. You will have to man the bar though."

Ricardt solemnly said, "I believe we can manage."

Teilla waved at Gorbsen and said, "We'll make sure the place doesn't burn down."

--)--------

The next day started quietly. Teilla and Ricardt considered it their good fortune that the tavern did not rent rooms and so were able to sleep without interruptions. When Teilla woke up and went to the kitchen, she found the blacksmith's wife putting bread in the oven. The slight half-elf felt dwarfed next to the woman's ample frame but said good morning just the same.

"Good mornin' dearie, a bit of tea for you?" The woman's voice was brisk and cheery as she indicated a kettle warming at the fire. "M'name's Skapti Bellows and you must be ol' Gorbsen's niece."

Teilla nodded and tentatively asked, "You're married to... um... er..."

"Yup, married to Chonar. He's a half-orc even though he doesn't look it."

Relieved that her curiosity was not seen as rude, Teilla ventured, "Wouldn't you be helping him at the smithy then?" Ricardt, looking slightly sleep rumpled and yawning, came into the kitchen and sat down with the two women.

"Nah," Skapti said as she retrieved a pair of mugs and poured tea for the younger bard and paladin. "Our sons are visiting and agreed to help their father this year. They don't really need another set of hands. You, on the other hand, need a few reliable people who know the crowd to help out. Lannlia will be here later to help with the evening crowd."

The large, fair woman noticed the confusion on Teilla's face and added, "Lannlia is Farnier's wife. He's the weaponsmith. Mind helping with the deliveries after breakfast?"

Ricardt and Teilla nodded and polished off a breakfast of hot porridge, honey and walnuts before starting to haul in the foodstuffs that had to be laid in for the day. Skapti told them that the first group of the day was likely to be a group of children from the temple for their early meal before going to wander around for the first day of the festival. "Today is when the conjurers and sleight of hand artists preform," Skapti informed them as they put away supplies, "The little ones really enjoy it."

The children and their minder, a monk from the temple, tromped in and sat down at tables closest to the tavern's front windows. The kids were laughing and annoying each other in equal measure as they sat down to fried potatoes, onions and peppers. The monk sat a little apart and sipped at some tea.

One of the little ones was building a pile of potatoes that bore a slight resemblance to a keep. one of the other children saw this and came up with the bright idea of laying siege to his classmate's potato keep with a potato catapult made from a spoon.

Ricardt noticed the first exchanges of flying potatoes and peppers between the rowdy children and nudged the monk supervising. The monk looked over at their table just as the other kids took notice of the infant food fight. The two offenders were promptly sent outside for pushups before coming back in to finish off breakfast.

Noticing Ricardt's confusion at the monk's choice of punishment, Skapti grinned and whispered, "That's the exercise instructor. He always gives pushups as a punishment for small infractions."

"Sounds like a paladin's page service without the reward," Ricardt muttered back.

Skapti shook her head. "They do get a reward. After their punishment they'll stop flinging potatoes and still get to wander the festival with everyone else. And they get to be introduced to all sorts of people who might later take them on as apprentices. Lots of opportunity for them."

Ricardt looked thoughtful, nodded and went into the kitchen to chop vegetables for the thick stew that would be simmering all day for later customers.

Teilla and Ricardt found out that Skapti had not been lying when she said that business would pick up later in the day. If anything, she had understated the reality.

Lannlia arrived just before midday and had barely enough time for introductions or greetings before she started carrying trays. Ricardt wondered how a pretty, married half elf could wait tables without her husband objecting until Lannlia decked the first drunkard to make an attempt to pat her rear end. After that, no one bothered her and Ricardt stopped wondering about any objections her husband may have had.

The later it got, the busier the tavern became. Teilla, Ricardt, Lannlia and Skapti kept up a virtually endless flow of food and drink going to the guests. There was a wide variety of them as well. A group of planetouched all representing different elements or planes, had seated themselves at one of the larger tables and seemed to be having a reunion. Teilla had caught someone swiping random silverware, mugs, coin and anything else that happened to come their way.

The only quiet point in the evening Teilla and Ricardt had was when a nymph (fully clothed) walked in and ordered some elven liqueur. At that point, everyone in the tavern simply did nothing but look at the fey creature until she finished her drink and told Ricardt what a sweet boy he was. Ricardt responded by turning beet red and offer his arm to escort her to the door. The previous level of boisterousness reinstated itself soon after Ricardt left the nymph at the door.

They closed a few hours after midnight after chasing the last customer out and depositing the sleeping ones out in one of Whizban's communal guest barns. Exhausted, Teilla wondered out loud, "Uncle Gorbsen said he'd be back tomorrow, right?"

Ricardt nodded as they hauled themselves to their rooms and fell into sleep.

--)--------


	4. Second Night of Mayhem

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!

--)--------

The next day started out similarly to the first. A different class group of children came in but this time Teilla headed off trouble by singing a funny ballad about a dragon wandering the countryside in disguise. The children particularly liked the part where the dragon ran into some bandits.

As before, things started to get very busy in the afternoon after Lannlia started helping with the tables. Ricardt noticed more groups of beings coming in than before as he acted as tavern peacekeeper. As he looked over at Teilla, he saw she managed the bar like she had done it for years instead of hours, trading good natured insults and stories like the bard she was. Ricardt caught her attention for a moment and gave her a small salute of respect. She smiled in return and turned back to the dwarf who continued to pour his life story out to her. He would never be as good as she was with nearly anyone they came across. He could insure that no one would get out of hand in the tavern and so continued to turn his attention towards preventing brawls.

As it was, the first major conflagration of the day would have been funny had both parties not been starting to sling spells instead of words at each other. The two junior clerics, one of Tymora and the other serving Torm, had commenced a friendly theological debate over the nature of chance and order in the multiverse an hour before. After a mug or eight of the house ale their conversation could be heard clearly by everyone in the tavern. Ricardt started to worry about how he would have to explain to his fellow paladins that he had to knock out a priest of Torm to prevent a common tavern brawl. Fortunately for all involved, it never got to that point.

Teilla, who had been serving drinks to the debating pair at the bar, simply served them one more round of ale. Both clerics passed out and she waved her dark haired friend over to haul them outside. As he came close she whispered to him, "A bit of sleeping potion in their drinks and they'll have a massive hangover for their troubles. Just and fair rewards, wouldn't you say?" Teilla grinned as Ricardt shook his head and muttered something about corruption and honor.

As he hauled the clerics out one at a time, he noted that the latest group of people to come in had not removed their hoods or cloaks despite the cozily warm interior of the tavern. More than that, he could feel that one of them was very definitely evil. Ricardt thought about the town's attitude towards those who disturb the peace and Teilla's comments about sensing evil in a busy marketplace sometimes. He came to the conclusion that if that group caused no trouble that the constable could hold them for within the laws of the town Ricardt would not bother them. As he came to this conclusion, Lannlia chatted with one of the cloaked figures as she took drink orders for them and Ricardt turned his attention back toward the other knots of tavern patrons, looking for potential trouble.

Trouble came soon after but not from the dwarves and orcs eyeing each other at the bar or the cloaked group that had caught Ricardt's attention earlier. A group of adventurers who had been steadily running up quite a tab all night was starting to gain volume as two of the remaining three conscious members of the party raised their voices in debate. A ranger and a paladin of Tyr were loudly discussing the morality of ambushes while their remaining conscious companion, a gnome priest of Garl Glittergold gave a broad, vague at nothing and noticeably swayed in his seat.

Teilla started liberally watering their ale. Ricardt introduced himself to the other paladin as a fellow brother in faith and led him towards the door with the quiet suggestion that he please retrieve some ice from the local storehouse for the lady barkeep. The drunk warrior for goodness and righteousness asked in a slurred tenor, "Why don' you do it youssef?"

"Because I swore to Lady Teilla that I would watch for trouble here," Ricardt explained patiently, "I cannot keep my word to her while fetching ice from across town. Will you do me this small favor, brother knight?" The stranger paladin gave a broad smile and nodded as Ricardt got him through the door. Ricardt walked over to the red headed half elf and murmured to her, "I hope I never get quiet that set in my ways as that one."

"I don't think you will," the bard smiled as she whispered back, "You have this terrible habit of thinking before acting and questioning anything that seems not quite right to you."

Ricardt gave a small smile in return, "Including my fellow paladins. As you probably recall very well." Teilla chuckled as they turned back to their tasks. Ricardt had successfully negotiated passage for his small patrol of knights through a section of forest held by a community of wood elves. His group had initially met with resistance until Ricardt had explained that they were after a tribe of ogres that had wrecked two villages on the other side of the forest and his group wanted to get at the ogres from a position of surprise. The elves had responded by explaining that they wanted the knights to avoid the sections of forest nearest their homes and to revise the way the knights made and broke camp. Ricardt had asked for and received a map for the best route through the forest to both avoid the elven settlement and take the ogres by surprise. He had also taken care to heed the elves' advice on camping the entire time his group was in the forest. The ogres were killed, but Ricardt had been criticized by his superiors for not "teaching the elves a lesson" when they initially resisted the knights. Ricardt had studiously ignored the criticism regarding his diplomacy and became a knight errant shortly thereafter. Teilla knew he still felt put out by the incident, but they both knew without doubt that he had done the right thing by working the problem out with words rather than blades.

Suddenly, a loud battle cry from outside shook Teilla out of her reminiscing. Most of the tavern, Teilla and Ricardt included, jogged over to the front windows and door to see what the ruckus was about. Lannlia, noting the pair's distraction took over management of the bar in Teilla's absence. The bard and the paladin found themselves bracketed by the dwarves who had started drinking very early in the day and the hooded group that had been under Ricardt's scrutiny earlier. Outside, the paladin that Ricardt had escorted out moments earlier was swinging his longsword at a blackguard of Bane, who had a heavy flail out and was swinging it with the same drunken enthusiasm the paladin was and with the same lack of accuracy.

Packed to the windows as they were, Ricardt fumed at his inability to get to the door while everyone else around him started making bets on the fight outside. One of the cloaked figures asked in accented Common, "Taking bets, commander?" The voice was a light tenor and musically jovial.

The cloaked figure next to Teilla, turned to him and answered, "Of course. What's your wager?" This one was clearly female from the shape under the cloak and the soft soprano coming out from under the hood.

"The paladin gets the upper hand but the blackguard will have fewer marks on him," came the response.

"So noted." "Commander" turned to the rest of her group and asked "Anyone else?" The troupe started placing their wagers with her. Teilla put a calming hand on Ricardt's shoulder and tapped the smaller hooded figure beside her on the shoulder and said, "Five gold says that the constable gets to them before they land anything on each other." The "commander" nodded in response and continued to take bets from her people. Teilla got the distinct impression that she was grinning underneath that hood.

A few more bets were taken before the stranger declared the bookie closed and all attention turned to the drunken duel of good versus evil. After a few more attempts to slay each other, all of which ended with over balancing and falling in the road, the watch got to the paladin and the blackguard.

The paladin went down first. A spotted cat slammed into his side, latched on with all four paws, pinned the struggling human to the ground and hissed in the startled man's face, baring canine teeth that seemed large for a feline that was as long from whiskers to tail as the paladin was tall. The blackguard was knocked out cold by a spinning kick administered by Constable Zorac. The sloshed paladin found himself ushered to Whizban's small guard tower by the burly constable while the cat kept an eye on the unconscious blackguard. A boy young enough to be still in school ran up to the cat and handed a long coat to the tall, lean woman who stood where the cat had been. She donned the coat, sent the kid running back to the watch tower and helped Zorac haul the still unconscious blackguard to the tower as well, presumably to sleep off his drinks and his headache.

"Commander" started collecting bets from the people around her before turning to Teilla and depositing a handful of coins in the surprised half-elf's hand. "Commander's" hand was a silky coal black. Teilla nodded dazedly and pocketed her winnings while steering Ricardt back towards the bar. The rest of the spectating tavern patrons soon returned to their drinks as soon as it became apparent that there was nothing left to see outside.

A few hours later, with nothing more eventful than a few pickpockets that Ricardt caught, a few drunken marriage proposals for Teilla (all turned down) and some rampant drinking songs, the pair finally managed to dump the last customer unceremoniously out the front door. As Ricardt, Teilla, Skapti and Lannlia started to put furniture in their proper places and mop up spilled ale and stew, Gorbsen walked through the door of his tavern and surveyed their activity. "So nice to know I was missed!" he said in a mock hurt voice.

Teilla smiled and waved the rag she had been using to scrub the bar with. Ricardt gave an audible sigh of relief, to the vast amusement of Skapti and Lannlia. Gorbsen smiled, "Well, the brandy's in my portable hole and my thanks for making sure the rampaging hordes didn't burn down my tavern. Any trouble?"

"None that the watch couldn't deal with," Ricardt said with a thoughtful smile.

"So, any chance on you two sticking around for the rest of the festival?" Skapti asked.

Teilla grinned, "I'd love to, if my partner doesn't have any objections." The bard looked over at the paladin, who was busily righting a table.

Ricardt chuckled, "Long experience tells me never to argue with a redhead. I'd be fine with staying for a little bit longer. To be honest, I've been expecting a message from my superiors any day now concerning what they'd like me to do next."

Curious, Lannlia asked, "What were you doing last?"

"Helping Lastrest find that stolen heirloom blade of theirs," Teilla said, naming a town on the east side of the mountains surrounding Whizban. "Some thieves had made off with it."

"Odd that you're fine with sticking around here for a little while," Skapti commented as she walked by carrying a stack of bowls. "Most paladins can't wait to get away from here. But you are certainly welcome to stay for however long you want."

Ricardt murmured something about paladins needing to travel a lot, while Teilla grumbled, "Most paladins don't trust their eyes as well as their codes of conduct."

"Well, if you end up staying past the first snows, I'm sure that Josie or Mirandaline can guide you through the passes, snow or no snow," Lannlia assured Teilla and Ricardt.

"Speaking of Mir," Gorbsen put in, "Has she put in an appearance yet?"

"No, but Chindrina D'Agenos was asking after her again," Lannlia sighed. "She still wants our little forester to join up with her band of mercs." The blonde half-elf turned to Ricardt and Teilla, "I'm sorry, this is all local gossip and you two look about dead on your feet. If you want I can explain the whole story to you in the morning if you wish."

"Or in full gory detail if you stay over winter," Grobsen put in. "Anyway, sleep sounds like an awfully good idea right about now, so I'll let you all finish cleaning up while I go to bed." He went upstairs to his room above the tavern.

Lannlia and Skapti finished cleaning the tables and scouring the dishes while Teilla and Ricardt scrubbed and swept everything else. They said their goodnights and went to their respective beds. Ricardt saw Skapti and Lannlia to their doors and then returned to his bard companion in the tavern. "So," he said as he came through the door, "What would we do if we did end up staying through the winter here?"

Teilla cocked her head to one side and said thoughtfully, "I think I would want to check out the local legends and stories hereabouts. Might be the makings of a good song in one or more of them. You?"

"Constable Zorac might appreciate another set of hands on the town watch," Ricardt gave a small smile. "I am sworn to uphold law and justice after all."

Teilla gave a tired chuckle before they both retired to slumber.

--)--------


	5. Morning after the night before

You know when I originally wrote this, I thought it would be a short one shot. Funny how some characters just grow on you more than others.

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!

--)--------

The next day, Teilla woke before Ricardt and went downstairs to find Gorbsen, Lannlia and her dusky husband Farnier sitting around the kitchen table. They seemed not to notice her and continued to talk together in hushed tones. As Teilla went about making herself a cup of tea, Lannlia spoke loud enough for the bard's sharp ears to pick it up, "It's not that we don't want her around… it's just that with every passing season she comes in to town less and less. And we worry about this remoteness. She needs to get over her nervousness around other elves. A bit of travel wouldn't be unwelcome, don't you think?"

"It would certainly beat the slow withdrawal she's doing now," the half drow smith added in a thoughtful voice.

Curiosity piqued, Teilla spoke up, "Who are you talking about?" Three pairs of eyes looked back at her and the red haired bard shrugged, "Sorry, I overheard. Who's nervous around elves?"

"That would be my sister Mirandaline Sparrowhawk," Farnier turned coppery eyes towards Teilla. "She's one of the best rangers in the area but very shy of other surface elves," he gave a sigh, "And she's probably starting to feel completely out of synch with everyone else here."

"Sister by blood?" Teilla asked. Ricardt walked into the kitchen and she poured him some tea before joining Gorbsen, Lannlia and Farnier at the table.

Lannlia shook her mane of golden hair, "Not that we know of, although it is possible that Mir and Farnier share a father but Farn's mother was human while Mirandaline's was a wood elf." The weaponsmith nodded his agreement.

"Odd combination," Ricardt murmured.

"Not around here," Gorbsen, Lannlia and Farnier chorused. Farnier continued, "Anyway you can see why a full elf all by her lonesome would be feeling a bit off beat around all of us."

Ricardt nodded. Without any other elves around, Farnier's sister would have a different sense of time than everyone else around her, watching those around her slowly age while she did not. The paladin did not envy the prospect. "How old is she anyway?" he asked.

Farnier shrugged, "Around seventy, give or take a few years. Same as Lannlia and me."

Ricardt considered this. For half-elves, seventy fell at around the beginning of middle age. For a full elf, seventy meant an individual looked barely adult. Farnier interrupted the paladin's line of thought, "Anyway, I bet she shows up today."

Gorbsen turned to the copper haired smith, "What makes you say that?"

Lannlia smiled at her husband and answered, "Archery contest today, right?" Farnier leaned back in his chair and nodded.

Teilla looked from her uncle to the half elven couple. "I take it that Mirandaline's a good archer?" she asked. Ricardt took in the smug looks that came back at them and shrugged, "I suppose."

"You'll see," Farnier grinned.

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	6. First meetings

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but everything else is! All mine! Go find your own!

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Later that morning, as Ricardt wandered through the vendors' stalls set up on one of the fields set up on one of the fields, looking at things such as enchanted toy bears and magical armor. Teilla had found some fellow bards to swap gossip and talk shop with and the paladin had excused himself to wander Whizban's harvest festival on his own. He paused at one booth displaying odd, solid crystal wands. "I've never seen anything like these before," he told the booth's owner, a man with nut brown skin and a swirling tattoo across his lower face. The man's eyes gave a faint glow as he said, "It requires a certain... aptitude to use these. You do not possess such skill."

"I've a friend that..." Ricardt started to explain but a light, lilting voice behind him broke in, "Unless your bard friend is very good at making magical items do her bidding, those won't work for her either."

The paladin turned and looked down at the newcomer, who barely came up to his chin. She wore the brown, green and grey mottled clothing that indicated she spent a lot of time out in the woods and an unstrung long bow strapped to her backpack hinted that she was a ranger. Long, cloud white hair lay braided over her shoulder, framing an inquisitive elven face of rich chocolate brown with leaf green eyes. She pointed to the crystal wand, "That's a dorje. You can use one only if you have some psionic ability."

"Ah," Ricardt searched for something more to say as the booth's owner filled in smoothly, "And would the ranger of Whizban care to peruse my wares?" He smiled.

The elf gave a slight smile and shook her head, "Sorry, I have to get to the competition field. Maybe later." With that, Ricardt watched the strange elf slip off through the vendor stalls towards the open area set aside for contests and events.

Shaking his head, the paladin turned back to examining the dorjes. The tattooed vendor regarded Ricardt a moment before speaking up, "I do have some smaller versions of these that are much easier to use, provided you let them recharge." The little man produced two crystalline pendants, each on its own waxed cord. Both had the same cut, but one had a milky white color while the other was a pale rosy pink. "One to see things as they are and not as they appear to be, one to distract from what needs to stay hidden."

Ricardt suppressed a sigh, "Sounds interesting. How much are you asking for them?" He silently put himself in a frame of mind to detect falsehood.

The vendor considered, "I know they are wroth more, but five platinum pieces and they're both yours. It's a very reasonable offer."

Ricardt blinked. He had been expecting an inflated price to start with and then haggling down to something reasonable or refusing outright. The equivalent of fifty gold was by no means a paltry sum, it was not unreasonable for magical items of any sort. The paladin nodded his agreement and handed over the money. As he tucked the two crystals into his belt pouch, he thought Teilla would probably like the rose crystal.

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	7. Archery contest with a twist

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but Whizban and everyone in it are, so ask before using. Violators will be fed to my rampaging hoardes of carnivorous dwarf hamsters.

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Teilla wandered around the field that the monastery of Kelemelvor had set aside for scheduled competitions. Gorbsen had given the bard the time of the much vaunted archery contest before starting the morning routine for his tavern. Given Lannlia's, Farnier's and Gorbsen's smug looks that morning, the half-elven bard's curiosity had been thoroughly perked. So, Teilla decided to watch the archery match to see if their assurance had any real basis.

At around midday, a pair of charcoal robed monks at the far end of the field busily erected a couple of blinds and straw stuffed stationary targets a few hundred yards away. Teilla blinked at the distance. A large number of competitors would be eliminated right off the bat if that distance was set up for round one. Another monk walked towards the newly set up blinds carrying a basket of tightly bound straw balls the size of small melons and what looked like a small trebuchet. Teilla gave a low whistle. Most archery matches she had been to started at a range of about fifty yards and simply got longer with each round. Moving targets at range were not the norm, an opinion made clearer when Teilla saw the competitors taking the field.

Teilla saw insignias from more than a few renowned armed companies. A few Purple Dragon knights were going to try their bows opposite a few Zhents and a full third of the two dozen archers assembling were elves wearing the colors of Evermeet, Evereska, Silverymoon and a few other symbols that Teilla did not recognize. The majority of the archers had the look of woodsfolk although some had the armor of soldiers on under their surcoats. The bard scanned the line for Farnier's half sister. White hair gleamed at the far end of the archers' line and Teilla saw a small elf with braided white hair and brown skin jog up to take a position at the competition line with a bow in hand just before a stern looking monk in grey close to her bellow, "The archery contest is now closed!"

The monk in grey hung a wooden symbol of Kelemelvor around his neck and started to walk the competitors' line. At each archer, he stopped and inspected the archer's bow and arrows, ensuring the equality and quality of each competitor's equipment. Two young woodsmen were disqualified for trying to use heavily enchanted arrows and refusing to use the quivers the presiding monk offered them. They slumped as they took places among the crowd of spectators. When he finished checking everyone's bow and arrows, the monk acting as referee stepped to one end of the competition line and pulled a bright orange flag from a pocket. The monk yelled, "Clear the range!" and then raised his flag. After waiting a moment, he brought the signal flag down and the assembled archers loosed their first volley of the day.

The first few rounds saw fewer and fewer competitors as the judges eliminated anyone who failed to hit a target as the range increased with every volley. When the officials started the rounds with moving targets, the competition had been whittled down to eight. The half drow elf, one moon elf from Evereska, two gold elves wearing Evermeet's colors, two human rangers without any distinguishing marks, another human ranger wearing Waterdeep's device and one nervous looking young sellsword from the Flaming Fist mercenary company in Baldur's Gate. The archers shot at targets that the monks downfield pushed across the firing line and also brightly colored sawdust stuffed balls that the monks threw from one end of the line to the other. Teilla could barely see the target balls from a position of a few hundred yards away, let alone well enough to hit them with anything.

The remaining archers had a difficult time. The sellsword, two of the rangers, the moon elf and one of the gold elves missed and were eliminated from the field. The line judge who checked the bows called out the names of the remaining three archers, Orino L'Lewin of Evermeet, Carson Swits of Greenest and Mirandaline Sparrowhawk of Whizban. Teilla cheered with the rest of the locals when the half drow's name was called. The line referee bellowed for quiet to describe the parameters of the last round of the archery contest. Each of the remaining three archers were assigned a ball of a different color. The idea was to shoot it as many times as they could before the ball hit the ground. Each archer would go one at a time to avoid confusion.

Teilla spotted Ricardt a little closer to the archers' line than she was. As the line judge determined the order that the finalists would go in, Teilla slipped through the crowd to whisper in the paladin's ear, "Quite the show isn't it?"

Ricardt jumped and spun to meet the tawny eyes of the grinning bard. He smiled back, "Yes, you got me this time. And it is quite the show even though I missed the first part of it." Ricardt glanced at the competition line. "I think we're going to see the end of the contest now." The three remaining archers took their places and it looked like Orino of Evermeet got to go first, pointedly ignoring Mirandaline and Carson as they exchanged a quick good luck handclasp.

The gold elf stepped to the line and waited for his target to show itself. Ricardt and Teilla saw a bight red ball fly up into the air before suddenly and erratically shifting in its descending parabola as Orino landed arrows into it. When it hit, one of the two monks down range of the archery line ran out, picked it up and ran back behind his blind. Mirandaline went next, with a similar show, followed by Carson. One of the monks from down range ran up to the line referee and whispered to him for a few seconds. The line referee turned to the waiting crowd and competitors and shouted, "Carson Swits wins with eight hits, Mirandaline Sparrowhawk places second with seven hits and Orino L'Lewin takes third with five hits." The crowd cheered as Carson grinned like a grimalkin, Mirandaline slapped him on the back in congratulations and Orino sulked off to the side.

The crowd started to converge in to add their own congratulations and Teilla and Ricardt started to join the stream of people towards the archers when someone tugged at the backs of their tunics. Teilla spun and hopped to the side as Ricardt spun into the lean, lanky man wearing a badge of Tyr on the front of his tunic. Unable to completely halt his momentum, the paladin bumped into the stranger hard enough to send him stumbling to the ground. Ricardt offered a hand and an apology to his fellow Tyrran as Teilla asked curiously, "So what do you want from Clunky here?"

The lanky man dusted himself off and replied, "I've a message for you, Knight Arniss. The headmaster of Valor Hall requests that you present yourself there at the earliest opportunity."

Teilla blinked, "Valor Hall in Suzail?"

"Know of any others?" Ricardt glanced at the bard before turning back to the messenger, "Any indication of what I should expect when I get there?"

"Just that you should get there as soon as you can manage," the messenger shrugged, "If you will excuse me, I had a few other messages to deliver here." He turned and started jogging through the crowd.

"Safe journeys," Ricardt called to the runner's receeding back. The paladin turned to Teilla and sighed, "It looks like I won't be able to stay for the rest of the festival."

"Forwards and onwards then," the copper haired half laughed, "You didn't think I'd let you brave a city by yourself, did you?"

Ricardt smiled, "We will need someone to give us the fastest route to Suzail then or hire a wizard to teleport us there."

"I'd go for a guide first. Wizards charge too much." Teilla snapped her fingers, "I know, we'll ask Mirandaline to guide us out. Lannlia said that she tends to wander extensively."

"Worth it to ask her," Ricardt shrugged, then rummaged in his belt pouch "Oh, I found this at one of the vendors' stalls. I thought you would like it." He produced the pale rose crystal on its cord and handed it to Teilla who exclaimed, "It's lovely, you flirt!" She smiled at the flush that crept up the paladin's face as he cleared his throat and said, "We should find that ranger now."

"Sure thing, 'sweetheart'" Teilla grinned as she tied the crystal in place around her neck, "Lead the way." Ricardt started weaving his way through the dispersing crowd to where he thought the archers still were. Soon enough, as they pushed their way through, Ricardt could see Mirandaline's white hair peeking above the shoulders of the taller people around her. As the bard and paladin neared, they heard the half drow talking quietly to one of the monks about teaching archery to the students of the monastery in the spring. The acolyte of Kelemelvor chuckled and replied, "Don't make promises you are not sure you can keep, Ranger Sparrowhawk" before turning and mingling with the crowd.

Ricardt figured now was as good a time as any and called, "Lady Sparrowhawk, a word?" Teilla waved at the smaller elf.

Mirandaline turned curiously towards the pair. "No one ever calls me 'lady,'" she said, "At least not usually on purpose the first time. Who are you?"

"I'm Ricardt Arniss in service to Tyr and this is Teilla Hawksman, bard of note," Ricardt replied. "I take it you don't get much courtesy often."

"Sad but true. Mirandaline for formal occasions but I'm Mir to friends" The elf looked at Teilla, "You're Gorbsen's niece, aren't you?"

Teilla nodded, "Lannlia said you knew your way around here better than anyone. We need to get to Suzail in a hurry. Can you help?"

The ranger blinked and a grin broke out on her dark face. "Is she always this blunt?" she asked the paladin.

"Sometimes she's worse than this," Ricardt sighed, "But usually not."

"To the frustration of everyone nearby, I suppose," Mirandaline smiled wider.

Teilla could feel her temper starting to slip, "So can you get us there or not?"

The dark ranger turned back to the red haired bard, "I can get you there in three days or so." Teilla started to ask how when Mirandaline held up a hand. "I'll explain how on the way, not before. How soon can you two be ready to leave?"

"Tomorrow morning?" Ricardt suggested. Teilla nodded.

"I'll meet you at Gorbsen's then. I should go see Lannlia and Farnier," the white haired ranger started off through the wandering festival goers. "See you tomorrow!" she called back before slipping from view.

Ricardt offered Teilla his arm as the very paragon of chivalry, "Shall we enjoy the festival while we can, Lady Bard?"

"And purchase the finest of travel fare for our journey," Teilla accepted the raven haired paladin's proffered arm.

If it seems like a while since this story moved, please keep in mind that I sometimes have to kick my muse awake to write this thing down and then kick myself to type it out. I do have a plan though, just be patient!

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Time to press the happy author button...


	8. Endings and Beginnings

Disclaimer: The forgotten Realms are not mine but nearly everything else in here is, especially Whizban. Ask before using or else I will find you and feed you slowly to rampaging dwarf hamsters of evil doom.

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Teilla and Ricardt were put to work as soon as they stepped foot into Gorbsen's tavern, the bard hauling dishes and the paladin washing them. The major ruckus of the evening occurred when a visiting gold elf made the supreme mistake of insulting the top two archers on the field within Lannlia's hearing. The local half-elf took it upon herself to defend her sister-in-law's good name and dumped a full mug of ale on the speaker's head, without keeping hold of the mug. He took umbrage and the resulting row between them took Ricardt, Constable Zorac, Josie Kitten, Mirandaline, Gorbsen and Lannlia's husband, Farnier to hold down or knock out the combatants. Ricardt dragged himself back to the kitchen and found a couple of small cloth wrapped parcels set aside on the end of the table. Looking at Skapti, he asked, "Where did those come from?"

"Those? Mir dropped them off for you two," The large woman looked up from the carrot she busily chopped. "She figured you two wouldn't have enough time while engaged here to go and get travel supplies on your own."

"Nice of her," Teilla opened one of the packets and took a look at the contents. While compact, it had dried peas, barley, dried mushrooms, dried carrot bits and a handful of herbs for stewing. "Looks like she raided the monastery's travel stores. It bears a striking resemblance to what they gave us at your brother's temple to Illmater."

Ricardt sniffed at one of the pouches of herbs. "Smells better though."

"Teilla!" Gorbsen called from the tavern's main room. The bard grinned at the paladin, who went back to washing mugs out, as she turned back to play the drink server.

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The pair dropped into sleep as soon as they climbed into their cots and were awoken in the early morning by Gorbsen. "Mir's here," the portly tavernkeeper told them. "She's waiting in the kitchen."

The paladin and bard stumbled, bleary eyed towards the tavern kitchen where they received a reward of hot, strong tea from Skapti their effort. Ricardt found that he had stiff and sore spots when he moved from the brawl the night before. Mirandaline handed him a small, half full flask and said, "This will take the edge off the aches." The small elf sat down at the kitchen table across from Teilla and Ricardt.

The paladin eyed the flask and the bits of leaves floating in it dubiously before tossing it down, trying not to taste the bitter taste of the liquid as it went down and grimacing as he handed the flask back to Mirandaline. "What is that stuff?" he asked.

"Something a druid I know brews," the brown skinned elf shrugged. "I have only a vague idea what's in it, but it isn't magic and it works well."

"Good porridge today, dears," Skapti said happily, as she set out bowls in front of Teilla and Ricardt. "Eat up."

Gorbsen set a bowl in front of Mirandaline and said, "You eat too. The gods know you could do to put meat on your skinny self."

The ranger rolled her eyes and accepted a spoon. "It is time to fatten up for winter. Are you two packed?"

Ricardt nodded. "I was born ready to travel," Teilla grinned.

"Then eat up and we'll get going," the dark ranger prompted. "I want to get out of here before the mercenaries track me down."

"Girl, they will eventually send their own scouts after you and pry an answer out of you," Skapti sighed.

"Only one of them would be able to hold me if they caught me and he won't be the one they send," Mirandaline shrugged and finished off her breakfast. Teilla and Ricardt followed suit and said their good byes to Gorbsen and Skapti. After promising to come back and visit, the three gathered their packs up and stepped into the brisk morning air.

Many of the merchants bustled about on the festival fields and some of the visitors started to emerge from tents, magically constructed cabins and Sandra's inn. The elven ranger led the Tyrran and bard out along a northern trail that looked little used. As they left Whizban's little valley and hiked into the rocky mountains, Mirandaline led them off the trail and into the wilderness. "Where does that path go?" Ricardt asked, curious.

"The monastery has a refurbished training place in that direction," the half drow kept walking. "They send their senior students up there now for courses in herbology and woodscraft."

"Recent development?" Teilla asked. "You said the place was refurbished."

"Marco, Sandra, Zorac, Josie and I helped clear it out years ago," the ranger answered as she led them into a straight gorge with a worn path down the middle of it. "This is Ninepin Alley. Our first hop will be a ways west of here."

"Ninepins?" asked Teilla.

"It gets crowded during games," Mirandaline smirked.

"What do you mean by 'hop'?" Ricardt asked.

"A couple of portals that will get us to the King's forest in Cormyr," the pale haired elf looked back at the paladin. "You did say you wanted to get to Suzail by the fastest road."

"Me and my big mouth," he groaned. "I was hoping to avoid those things."

"That's my line," Teilla laughed. "Go find your own!"

They continued to follow the ranger out of the gorge and along thick fir forest, skirting the tree line as they went.

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Author's note: Please leave a review if you want to, but as this has no canon characters in it as of yet and really no one reads anything here without them I will probably wait in vain (sigh and pout).


	9. Are we there yet?

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but Whizban and everything related to it is mine. Go snag someone else's idea.

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Hours after leaving Whizban and hiking through the cold rocky peaks of the Stormhorns, Mirandaline brought Ricardt and Teilla to the first portal they needed to jump through. The half drow unslung her pack and pulled out something carefully wrapped in soft cloth as long as Ricardt's forearm. She looked critically over the bard and paladin and their gear and said, "You need to muffle everything that might make noise. This particular portal leads to a path in the Underdark to our next portal. There isn't usually anything lurking in the passage but it's far better to avoid attracting attention." She pulled a steel rod with a faceted crystal at one end out of the cloth and handed the sunrod to Teilla. "You'll need this too."

The bard took the proffered sunrod and unslung her knapsack to double loop the straps. Ricardt shucked out of his chainmail shirt and took a roll of string and started weaving it through the edges of his armor. Mirandaline cut a length of string off the main roll and started work on a sleeve. A few minutes later, The elven ranger pronounced them ready to go.

The portal's arch, strangely enough, consisted of two trees intricately and delicately woven together to form the gateway. "A little odd for a gate into the Underdark," Teilla commented.

Mirandaline shrugged, "As far as I can tell, these portals were built connected places of the fey together. This one is fairly close to a dryad's grove and the tunnel on the other side is patrolled by the deep fey."

"Deep fey?" Ricardt asked, skeptical.

"Gloruas," the small elf answered. "Guardians and helpers of travelers through parts of the Underdark."

"You've seen them before," the paladin stated.

Mirandaline nodded, "Only when I'm in deep trouble and then only when I'm alone."

"Well that's comforting," Teilla rolled her eyes. "Are we going?"

The elf tugged on the branches of the arch in a seemingly random pattern and a shower of blue sparkles appeared within the confines of the tree arch. "Strike that sunrod and step this way," Mirandaline said as she strung her longbow and walked through the cascade of blue pinpricks of light and disappeared. Ricardt unslung his shield to a more ready position and Teilla lit the sunrod before they followed the ranger into the portal.

They found themselves in a fairly close passageway. Ricardt, the tallest of the trio, could easily reach up and touch the top of the tunnel. The sunrod illuminated only irregular grey stone tunnel as far as the light would go. Mirandaline stood a little ahead of the paladin and bard and waved them towards her position. She put a finger to her lips to signal them to silence and started padding softly down the tunnel. Teilla carried the sunrod after the ranger and Ricardt brought up the rear, listening intently for any signs of trouble behind them.

After what seemed like hours, Mirandaline had gotten ahead of the light to scout the tunnel ahead. Teilla whispered to Ricardt, "How long did she say we had to go through here?" The bard's hushed voice echoed eerily down the tunnel.

"Ask our guide," Ricardt nodded ahead of them. You could probably cast something rather than calling out to her."

Nervously, Teilla nodded and tried to cast a minor message spell as quietly as she could. Even so the words seemed to amplify and echo off the walls of the tunnel. When she finished the last gesture of the spell, The bard whispered to the empty, still air, "Mir, are we there yet?"

Rather than answering in words, the ranger gave a couple of short whistles and three glowing balls of pale light appeared in the tunnel above the slight elf. Ricardt and Teilla quickened their pace to catch up with the ranger. They found her looking down the tunnel with the balls of light at her back and her longbow in front of her with an arrow on the string. "What is it?" Ricardt asked, drawing his sword as he did so.

"Something bigger than us," Mirandaline continued to focus on the tunnel. "Teilla, can you see the arch on the tunnel wall?"

"A vein of white stone against the grey? Looks a little like a vine with flowers on it?" Teilla asked as she looked at the pattern on the tunnel wall.

"Tap the top center flower, the second leaf from the bottom on the left side and the fifth leaf from the top on the right side, then say 'beloren quin sidhe.' The stone will ripple like water, then return to what it looks like now and stay open for a minute or so." Mirandaline kept her attention on the tunnel as Ricardt joined the elf's vigil. Teilla ran through the sequence to awaken the portal.

As the bard whispered the pass phrase, the stone shimmered and returned to looking like normal. "It's open," Teilla called to the ranger and paladin. "I'll be on the other side." She stepped through the stone. Ricardt heard something moving in the tunnel ahead and quickly hopped through the gate, Mirandaline right on his heels.

They stepped into a dense grove of black walnut, nearly slamming into Teilla, who stared off at one of the trees. Ricardt nudged the copper haired half elf. She did not seem to notice or respond. Ricardt felt the hair rising on the back of his neck and started to scan the trees for any signs of danger. Mirandaline quietly came up next to the paladin and laid a square palmed hand gently against the frozen bard's cheek. Ricardt felt all of the hair on his neck stand at attention and found the air charged with the scent of damp ferns. The ranger took her hand off Teilla, stowed her longbow and peered at the surrounding trees. "What just happened?" Ricardt asked, confused and slightly shaken.

"When Teilla came through the portal, she surprised someone. I think it was the guardian of this gateway." Mirandaline looked back at Ricardt. "If I remember correctly, a very powerful dryad."

"How do you know..." he started, but the half drow's heavy sigh cut him off.

"I can use dorjes easily. In fact, I've got two on me right now. Shouldn't that tell you enough?" The elf started walking towards the nearest tree.

"You're a psionicsist," Ricardt told her back and shook his head. "I probably should have figured it out on my own." He looked back at Teilla and saw the frozen bard blinking as the spell wore off. "At least the idea was to drive away rather than kill us off and eat us," the paladin said innocently as Teilla came to.

"Yuck it up, clunky," Teilla groused as she shook the residual stiffness out of her arms and legs. "Aren't paladins supposed to stay between the lady and danger?"

"As I recall, I heard snuffling noises in the tunnel. Now, given that the Underdark is an extremely dangerous place, I figured that the woods would be safer for a delicate city blossom such as yourself," Ricardt smiled. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thanks," Teilla watched as Mirandaline knocked at the trees. "So she's a mindbender and a ranger. Wonder what other..." Teilla trailed off as a tall slender figure suddenly stepped out of one of the big trees to tower over the smaller half drow.

"... Surprises she's got squirreled away," The bard finished and watched another, smaller dryad join the tall dryad and ranger. The taller of the tree fey turned to the shorter dryad and seemed to start talking to her. Mirandaline took a step back from the fey and motioned to Teilla and Ricardt to stay where they were.

"I think the smaller dryad is getting chewed out," Teilla told Ricardt. "Her shoulders keep drooping."

"The tall one would be the gate guardian then," Ricardt watched the quiet conversation between the fey. The tall dryad turned and beckoned to the bard and paladin. Teilla glanced at Mirandaline, who also waved them over.

The tall regal dryad turned her charge towards Teilla and Ricardt as they approached. "Siache," she prompted in a deep resonating alto. The tall dryad had a wild cascade of hair that bore all the hues of autumn leaves and stood as regal as a queen in skin of smooth, dark walnut.

The smaller dryad covered her face with hair the vibrant green of new leaf buds and hands the golden color of sanded oak. Ricardt studiously kept his gaze above shoulder level, for neither dryad wore anything but hair and skin. "I'm sorry for freezing you," Siache looked at the twig scattered grove floor and seemed for all the world as abashed as a child who had just broken a neighbor's window.

Teilla waved the apology away, "No harm done. I must have scared you, suddenly popping up like that." The half elven bard turned to the half drow ranger, "Please tell me we're close to civilization."

"This is the best civilization you'll be seeing until around midday tomorrow," Mirandaline inclined her head to the taller of the two dryads. "We're headed towards Suzail, Lady Brissilee."

"Ah," Brissilee gave Siache a little turn and push towards one of the trees. The autumn haired dryad spoke after her in a soft, oddly rustling tongue as the white haired ranger moved to stand next to Teilla and Ricardt. Brissilee turned back to Mirandaline and said, "Use the beaver dam campsite, little eyas. Clearfall is occupied." Then the guardian dryad turned and followed the path Siache had taken towards the trees.

"Beaver dam campsite?" Ricardt asked the ranger as she led them into the woods.

Mirandaline shrugged, "Are naming conventions really that mystifying? This particular spot is bordered by an old beaver's pond."

"Why wouldn't we go to the Clearfalls site and join the group there?" the paladin pressed.

"Any number of reasons. You and me being the most likely," the brown skinned elf arched an eyebrow at him. "Since orcs have taken up residence here and there in Cormyr's forests, most of the fey here have recently taken pains to keep them away from human settlements, at least the groups that aren't interested in raiding. I'd be very surprised if they let any human get near the more sedate orcs."

Ricardt considered, "If there are no raids, then there is a smaller chance of someone getting the bright idea of clearing the forest of the orcs and causing all the collateral damage associated with moving an army through the forest. How do they deal with orcs that want to do mischief?"

"We ensure that they never get to where they are headed," the elf stated flatly and kept walking.

Teilla looked curiously at Mirandaline and asked, "Why did Brissilee call you 'eyas'? And why wouldn't you want to join a nice group of merchants or whatever for a round of jokes around the campfire?"

"What is this, an inquisition?" Mirandaline threw up her hands. "'Eyas' is what Mother called me and she's the one who introduced me to Brissilee. It refers to a baby hawk, feathered but not flying yet. As for your other question, I've gotten tired of getting shot at by strange people and prefer to do without crowds anyway. Are you now satisfied?"

Sensing a change in tack was needed, Ricardt said, "I take it that if it were rangers known to you, we would be staying at Clearfalls."

"Lannlia was right, you do think," the ranger observed.

Teilla sighed theatrically, "He'll spoil you off those paladins whose horses have more brains than they do."

"Fortunately," Mirandaline suddenly grinned, "I am good at negotiating with horses."

Ricardt rolled his eyes, "Unfortunately, I get to deal with their riders."

"On a completely different note," the red haired bard commented plaintively, "My feet hurt and are we there yet?"

"No, not yet," Mirandaline glanced at the setting sun. "Soon though. No inns until tomorrow at the earliest." Teilla groaned.

Ricardt smothered a smile and enjoyed the last few miles of walking through the woods of ash, oak and the occasional willow bathed in golden light. Leaves of all colors crunched underfoot when they finally emerged at a calm pool bordered by granite cliff and blocked off a the end by an old abandoned beaver dam. Mirandaline led them to a small cleared out area sheltered by the cliff face and bordered by the water with a flat hearthstone in the middle of it. Ricardt and Teilla laid their bedrolls out in the shadow of the cliff, while the ranger shook out her own bedroll. Ricardt noted the ropes trailing off either end of it and asked, "What are those for?"

Rather than answering, the elf instead climbed up an overhanging oak with her bedroll. Once well perched, she tied the ropes to a pair of sturdy branches and strung the bedroll out between them. She swung into the resulting hammock to test the hold of her knots. "I'll take the first watch," She volunteered. "Someone else can cook though."

Teilla got some of their barley soup soaking while Ricardt built up a fire and Mirandaline wandered off into the woods. As the bard set the pot over the fire to heat, the elf came up behind her and added some freshly washed wild mushrooms. Startled, Teilla asked, "Are you sure those aren't poisonous?"

Mirandaline graced the half elf with a dirty look, "Are you sure you can play that recorder?"

Ricardt studiously busied himself with locating the travel bread.

After the food was cooked and eaten, Teilla and Ricardt turned into their bedrolls, leaving Mirandaline on watch in the tree above them.

--)--------

"Are we there yet?" Teilla asked for the second time that morning since breakfast. Ricardt stifled a heavy sigh. The bard clearly wanted to try bantering with their guide, but Mirandaline had not risen to the bait and had since stopped answering such questions.

Hoping for a change in topic and to satisfy some idle curiosity, the paladin asked, "So, which de-..."

"Corellon Larethian," the ranger cut him off and kept walking through the forest.

"You read that off..." Teilla started, but the ranger again interrupted.

"No," she said patiently. "Everyone asks at some point."

"Not Ellistraee?" Ricardt asked.

The bard smiled behind the elf's back at her partner's memory for obscure facts and watched Mirandaline's reaction to this line of questioning. The cloudy haired elf glanced back at the paladin, then turned her attention back to the forest ahead before answering, "They did try. It just didn't interest me really. They left with a standing invitation to visit the Ladystone and the Promenade near Waterdeep. A somewhat similar invitation has been extended by the Underdark mercenaries to visit their base. One of them anyway."

"Sounds like you don't plan on going either way," Ricardt observed.

"True enough," Mirandaline agreed and kept picking a path through the woods.

They continued on for a little while longer with only the sound of their feet on leaves as they walked to wherever the ranger led them. Suddenly the forest opened up on either side of the trio as they found themselves inn the middle of a road. "So, which way?" Teilla asked, looking both ways up and down the road.

The half drow pointed to the left, "That way for a day and a half and you'll reach Suzail. The road leads right to it."

"Let's get going then," Ricardt motioned the ladies forwards.

A few hours later, Teilla thought she heard something rumbling up the road behind them. "Do you hear something?" the bard asked.

"It's just a wagon," Mirandaline assured her.

"Ricardt turned and looked down the road behind them. "It seems more likely to be a wagon train than a single cart." he commented.

Teilla turned and looked in time to see the first of five merchant wagons rounding a bend in the road. The portly driver in the lead wagon waved at them, "Hello! Where are you two headed?"

"Two?" Ricardt muttered under his breath and looked around. The half drow was nowhere to be seen.

Teilla answered the wagoner, "We're headed for Suzail, sir. Where are you going?"

"Waymoot for restocking," the rotund man replied. "Then on to Suzail ourselves. If you want to save yourselves the walk to Waymoot, we could use another couple sets of eyes on watch, particularly if your friend actually is what he looks like. We''l probably take too long in the next town to suit you, but we can save you the walk there."

Teilla beamed, "Ricardt is very much a devotee of Tyr and I'd love to get off my feet for a spell."

"Hop up then, miss, sir!" the man gestured to the wagon's bench.

Ricardt clambered up the bench and offered a hand up to Teilla. She took it and soon sat between the paladin and the teamster. Before long they were trading tall tales. Ricardt glanced about the tree tops and thought he caught a glimpse of pale white hair among the red and amber leaves. He gave a small wave in that general direction before turning his attention back to the road at hand, watching for trouble.

--)--------

Well I hope those that have read this far like it. Please tell me so. In fact please tell me if you hate it, just be sure to tell me why. And yes there is more to come. Also before I forget, here is a list of the characters who were actually played: Josie, Sandra, Marco, Zorac, Mirandaline and to a certain extent Teilla too.


	10. A New Request

Disclaimer: Must I? (sighs)

--)--------

After an uneventful ride from Waymoot on two bay horses purchased in the trading town, Ricardt and Teilla arrived in Cormyr's capital city at dusk. They rode in towards an inn with a stable conveniently attached and run by a family. They handed their horses to the stable girl and Ricardt followed the red haired bard into the inn proper. He nudged Teilla and said quietly, "I'm going to go to Valor Hall and see what they want with me."

The half elf cocked her head towards the paladin, "Are you planning staying here or there tonight?"

"Here," he answered, "their breakfast porridge tends to be inedible without at least a month of stomach training."

"Good to know you aren't going monk on me," Teilla grinned. "I'll make sure to get two beds then."

The dark haired paladin nodded and walked out into Suzail's wizard lit streets towards the Tyrran temple. The tavern spilled light and happy noise into the boulevard, which quieted down as he approached the temple district of the Cormyrean capital. He found the fortress—like temple to the god of justice, passed the door guards' muster and stepped into the building's torch lit halls.

A novice led Ricardt to a sparsely furnished office with two taller men inside waiting for him. Both had pale hair, sun weathered faces and more or less looked the part of paladin as Ricardt did not. He bowed to the pair as he entered and stood at attention as they looked him over.

One sat on the desk as he looked Ricardt up and down. Ricardt found himself growing slightly uncomfortable with the scrutiny. "Is anything amiss, sir?" he ventured.

"My pardon," the paladin perched on the desk apologized. "I'm Hammerlord Dreas Trannas. We were wondering how you got here so quickly from the wilds of the Stormhorns."

Ricardt shrugged, "A friendly local ranger knew a few shortcuts."

"That must be some shortcut," the second paladin stated from a chair in front of the austere desk. Ricardt could see grey streaks in the man's blond hair as he held out a hand. "The fastest route I know of from Whizban still takes six days. I'm Tristan Yseph."

Ricardt clasped Tristan's outstretched hand and glanced back and forth between the two older men. "I'm sure you're wondering why we summoned you, Knight Arniss," the Hammerlord gestured to the remaining open seat in front of the desk and Ricardt sat down.

Ricardt squelched the first sarcastic response that came to mind and instead chose to nod gravely. The senior knight continued, "Tristan's son, Carad, is also a paladin. He was sent on his first quest about two months ago. A simple mission to find and vanquish the creature that has been menacing Eagle's Peak in the Stormhorns. He has not been seen since."

"Please help," Tristan looked at Ricardt in earnest entreaty. "I want to know what's happened to him, even if it is the worst." Trannas nodded gravely in silent agreement.

"Can you tell me more about what Carad was supposed to be doing in Eagle's Peak, sir?" Ricardt asked. "And what does he look like?"

The senior paladin looked pleased as he answered, "Something large was stealing sheep and then a few shepherds out of their fields. The villagers swear they went missing during broad daylight."

"I hope you kept the ranger around," Tristan said seriously. Ricardt silently agreed with him and wished Mirandaline had stuck around. Tristan continued through the dark haired paladin's musings, "My son looks a good deal like me but younger."

"In any case," Trannas broke in, "We want you to find out what happened to Carad Yseph and find out what is going on in the village. Send word via reliable messenger when you have achieved either part of this assignment."

Ricardt nodded and stood up to take his leave. As he did so, the Hammerlord asked, "You still travel with that half elf minstrel, don't you?"

"Yes sir," Ricardt saw where this line of questioning headed and he did not like it. He never did.

"Mind that she doesn't distract you from your duties," Trannas stated in a lecturing tone.

"Yes sir," Ricardt sighed quietly and exited the office and the temple proper.

--)--------

"So we were called out of the Stormhorns so you could be handed an assignment in the Stormhorns," Teilla summarized for the paladin when he gave her the details of the assignment Valor Hall had handed him. The bard shook her mane of coppery hair, "They really know how to turn something simple into an ordeal, don't they?"

"The messenger may have had to track us down," Ricardt noted. "We have been traveling a lot recently."

"True that," Teilla conceded. "So back the way we came?"

"Back to whence we came but not by the same route," Ricardt agreed. "I don't think I could find the trail markers our guide took."

"I don't think there were any," Teilla laughed. "Anyway, can we leave the day after tomorrow?"

"What are you up to?" Ricardt sighed. "We need to resupply for the trail up to Eagle's Peak and I don't see getting that done until mid-morning. If you are thinking of finding something out about the knight we are supposed to be asking after or the whatsit stealing sheep in the mountains, then I would suggest that you do so tonight and sleep in until I come and wake you."

Teilla smiled brightly, "You know me too well."

"And you know that I truly appreciate the background information you gather," The raven haired paladin replied, "And that with regards to directives from the church, I dislike undue delays."

"As long as you're fine with the reasonable delays," Teilla made sure that she had money in her belt pouch and her recorder close at hand.

"I am also fully aware that you enjoy talking your way through every tavern within walking distance," Ricardt smiled at her as she fussed over her travel cloak.

"It has the added bonus of keeping your brother paladins off your back about sharing a room with a pretty girl," Teilla added. "Makes it harder for them to accuse you of anything if I'm not in the room all night."

"Far too true that," Ricard groaned. Teilla Laughed at his melodramatic, woe begone tone as she left on her errands. Ricardt got to the serious business of sleeping.

--)--------


	11. New Friends

Disclaimer:The Forgotten Realms are not mine but most of the characters in this fic are mine. If any canon characters show up I'll tell you so, not that anyone is really reading this far into this particular fic (sigh).

--)-------

Later the next day, Ricardt and a bleary eyed Teilla rode out from Suzail on the road for Eagle Peak in the Stormhorns. When they had gotten out of the city, Ricardt turned to the groggy half elf and asked, "So anything I should know now or should I let you try to sleep in the saddle?"

"Last time I tried that, I fell off the horse," the bard grumped.

"You forgot to tie yourself in," he pointed out. "And you did fall into a nice soft pile of leaves."

"Anyway, before I doze off," Teilla yawned, "Carad Yseph is known as very, very dedicated to Tyr and is generally regarded as on his way up through the ranks of the church. I don't know if whoever you spoke to mentioned it, but Carad is missing his right hand..."

"A zealot," Ricardt groaned, "I've never met one and gotten along."

"Well, look on the bright side. You get to save his bacon, show him how a paragon of justice should act and as an added bonus, you outrank him so you get to boss him around."

"Oh goody," the paladin did not sound thrilled.

"I also found out that Eagle Peak has hired two more parties to deal with this thing since Carad disappeared," Teilla went on. "One came back with nothing and told the village that it had to be a really mean badger. The other group never came back. Whatever it is, it hasn't affected the merchant trains that come through periodically yet, but Supposedly the town is understandably getting nervous about the possibility."

"I can wait until we get there to get better details of what we're looking at," he reasoned. "No sense in going off half cocked over rumors."

Having determined that neither of them knew where or what trail markers that Mirandaline had used to shortcut them to the Cormyrean capital, Ricardt and Teilla traveled along the main road through the Forest Kingdom. The autumn air grew more chilly as they started to lead their horses into the mountains, bypassing the mule track to Whizban and taking the more traveled trail to Eagle Peak.

AS they started looking for a campsite for their first night in the Stormhorns, Ricardt spotted smoke rising from a fire. Teilla spotted two people moving about it. "Ricardt..."

"I see them," the paladin peered through the tree trunks. "It looks like..."

"Hello there!" the bard called to the campfire.

"... Two rangers," Ricardt finished.

The two people seated at the campsite turned and looked in their direction. The bard, dressed as she was in bright blue and red, stood out against the trees like a peacock among pigeons. Ricardt was not hard to spot either in his chainmail and blue and white tabard. They started walking over to the fire.

The older of the two rangers looked at the pair skeptically and said gruffly, "Hello. If you've got your own grub, we can share the fire. I'm afraid we've only got the one coney tonight." He had greying brown hair and a permanent stubble over the lower half of his face. A crossbow and pair of axes rested near to his hands and his worn leather armor had more scuffs on it than Teilla's travel worn boots.

The younger of the two had not yet started to grow a beard yet and wore his leathers uneasily. The young man fiddled with one of the laces on his sleeve. Ricardt guessed that he was some sort of younger relative of the elder ranger, for he bore a resemblance to the older woodsman. "So," the elder started, "Where are you two headed?"

"Eagle Peak," Teilla said engagingly, "And you are...?"

"Joss Ironswit," the older ranger said, warming up. "And this is my nephew, Cris Arogla. He's learning woodslore."

"Hi," Cris gave a shy wave.

"We're also on the way to Eagle Peak," Joss continued. "Something about an unknown critter doing mischief."

"That's what we heard as well," Ricardt noted. "My order sent someone, but he is a bit overdue to come back."

"So they sent you in?" Joss snorted. "Sounds like they're throwing hawks into a stream where they they really need to throw fish instead."

"That may be so," Ricardt conceded, " But people should not have to live in fear for their lives from some strange creature. I would be open to extra eyes and your woodscraft, sir."

"It would certainly be nice to know if we were dealing with a really mean bear as opposed to say, a wyvern," Teilla observed. "I'm Teilla Hawksman and this is Ricardt Arniss."

"Pleased to meet you," the elder ranger looked the bard over. "Where do you fit into this dog and pony show?"

"Me?" the red haired half elf grinned. "I'm a fount of useless knowledge, random trivia and obscure songs and lore."

Joss broke out laughing. Ricardt tried to hide a smile and ended up snickering instead. Cris chuckled and smiled broadly. "Well," Joss said between guffaws, "As long as the information is totally useless, I could see working with you two."

"How did you find out about Eagle Peak's problems?" Cris asked curiously.

"Well, a messenger from Valor Hall in Suzail caught up to us while we were enjoying Whizban's Spell and Herb Festival," Ricardt explained. "I reported in, Hammerlord Trannas handed me the assignment and we left the next day."

The novice ranger frowned, "That's not possible unless someone magicked you to Suzail."

Teilla rolled her eyes, "We may as well have been magicked there."

"Younglings," Joss chuckled, "So sure they know everything."

Ricardt started pulling some of the trail supplies out of his pack and set them to simmer next to the rangers' roasting rabbit. Teilla co-opted Cris into helping her groom the horses while Joss made sure the coney did not burn.

--)--------

Author's Note:

If you've managed to read this this far, please leave a review. I'm not feeling the author love. (sigh)


	12. Growls in the Dark

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but most of the characters and some of the places are figments of my own imagination.

--)--------

The rest of the hike up to Eagle Peak was uneventful and thankfully clear of the storms common to the area. The village resembled many other remote settlements, insular and close knit. As Joss, Cris, Ricardt and Teilla walked in, a few people paused in their daily chores to stare at the newcomers before going back to churning butter, laundry or whatever other tasks had occupied them before.

Prior to entering the village, the quartet had designated Ricardt and Joss to make the initial inquiries about the creature and missing Tyrran. As the paladin and senior ranger left to find the town spokesman, the half elven bard took stock of Eagle Peak. A caravan stop like Whizban, visitors seemed to be regarded with mild curiosity rather than hostility, for which Teilla was relived. She did notice that parents kept a very close eye on their children and that someone always kept an eye towards the surrounding woods. She could nearly taste the wariness on the air. The bard started humming to take the edge off her own nerves. "They seem a little like a big herd of watchful deer, don't they?" Cris murmured to the red haired half elf.

Teilla nodded and hummed a little louder. She saw Ricardt and Joss talking to an iron haired man and watched them closely, trying to read what they said off their faces. After a few minutes, she gave up, unable to see enough detail to read their lips. She settled instead for reviewing the spells she knew and trying to figure out which ones might be most useful to get this latest chore done faster.

The sound of Ricardt and Joss returning interrupted her train of thought. "Well," the paladin began, "No one has seen hide nor hair of Carad Yseph since he left here a month ago."

"On a different tack," Joss joined in, "The critter has a favorite field. It sometimes shows up there at night looking for food. Incidentally, we have enough daylight to left to check out the place."

"Oh goody," Teilla groaned. Cris settled for looking apprehensive.

After they left Teilla's and Ricardt's horses in the care of the farrier, they took the mile long path to the field in question. The path took the party through the woods and emptied out at the pasture. The grassy lea was empty of sheep or shepherd. No one wanted to be the next to disappear and no one wanted to lose more valuable livestock.

Ricardt, Joss and Cris started to poke around the field, looking for anything that might indicate that something large had run through it. Knowing that she would not recognize predator sign if it pounced on her, Teilla opted to aid the men in a different manner. She took out her recorder and began to play one of the melody to one of the meditations that the monks of the Sun Soul used to focus their senses.

After a search of the outside perimeter of the field, Joss called out, "Over here!" Teilla stopped playing and jogged over with Cris and Ricardt to see what the weathered ranger uncovered.

Grinning, Joss pointed to the ground. A single taloned paw print crushed the moss under an elm tree. "Cris, what can you discern from this print?" he asked.

The novice ranger compared the size of the print with his handspan and examined the depth of the print. "I think that either this thing is pretty light with really big feet or it's a big creature with wings," Cris looked at his uncle hopefully.

"Good job lad," Joss slapped the young man on the back. "Whatever it is, it definitely has wings. You can tell because it was up on its toes when this track was made and there isn't any of the scuffing either on the front or back associated with a critter that runs."

"Wow, that was more than I ever needed to know," Teilla commented. "Anything else?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that dragons and wyverns put down four toes on the rear and five on the front for dragons," Ricardt noted. "There are only three toes there."

"True," the older ranger conceded. "I've no idea what might have made that track unless a dragon lost a toe somewhere." He glanced at the darkening sky. "We should get back to Eagle Peak and get some rest."

"What if it comes by tonight?" the paladin asked. "It might help to get a look at the creature."

"I don't think people have been using this field unless they absolutely have to," Teilla remarked. "Besides, we just hiked up here. I don't know about you boys but I'm tired and I think it would be a good idea to come at this fully rested."

"Maybe we can lay a few cords between the trees and see which ones are disturbed in the morning," Cris suggested.

"Teilla, do you still have that ball of twine?" Ricardt looked over at the bard. She started to rummage around her rucksack. Presently she produced a ball of jute twine with its collection of lint, dirt and whatever else had been knocking around the bottom of the half elf's backpack.

Teilla handed the roll of twine over to Joss saying, "Take as much as you want. In fact, take all of it. I can't even remember where I picked that thing up or why."

The elder ranger cut a handful of armspans of string for himself, Cris, Ricardt and Teilla. They then loosely tied the lengths to thin branches, really big leaves and anything else that would give if something pulled at the line. "Well," Joss dusted off his hands and surveyed their work, "At least we'll have a starting point in the morning."

"I'll see if I can't collect a description out of someone tonight," Teilla chimed in. "If I get enough I might be able to sing a spell to net us more information."

Ricardt blinked, "When did you get the components for that lore spell?"

"Whizban, silly!" she laughed. "You never know when it'll come in handy."

"We really should get going," Cris looked around at the darkening sky nervously. Joss took point, followed by Teilla and Cris with Ricardt bringing up the rear. Out in the open field there was still plenty of light to see by but under the trees the shadows grew velvet dark.

As the path back to the main buildings of Eagle Peak stole into the dark under the oak, the four kept a sharper eye to the forest around them. A strange jibbering howl wound its way toward their ears. Joss signaled a halt and they all strained to hear into the darkness.

The strange wail was soon accompanied by thudding and crashing noises in an odd, syncopated rhythm. Teilla filed the sound away for future reference and waited tensely with the others for the unseen creature to do something.

After what seemed like an eternity, the unknown beast moved away and the sound of its passage faded into the distance. Cris and Teilla let out the breaths they had been holding. Ricardt murmured a prayer of thanks to Tyr and Joss motioned the troupe forwards. As quietly as they could, they made their way back to Eagle Peak.

--)---------

Author's note: Thanks to the few of you who have read this thus far! Please leave a review, even if it is to say that you can't believe I'm still writing this thing. I do have a plan and an ending in mind though, just be patient!


	13. Reunions and Questions

Disclaimer: The Forgotten Realms are not mine but much of what is in this fic is mine. Ask before using, please.

--)--------

The next day Teilla, Ricardt, Cris and Joss made their way back to the field with travel packs ready to go. They quickly found where the marauder had been by the broken foliage and crushed grass it left behind. They poked about the edge of the clearing for a little, looking for where the creature had come or went. "Aha!" Joss crowed suddenly, "A trail!"

Sure enough, the elder ranger stood at the edge of the pasture where a dormant blackberry patch had been crushed. More snapped off twigs and leaves, crushed grass and tracks led off into the wilds of the Stormhorns.

"So," Joss said, looking at the rough track into the wilderness, "You two took care of your horses, right?"

"Sold them both to the farrier," Teilla answered. "Said goodbye to civilization too."

"Let's get started then," Joss took lead followed by Teilla and Cris with Ricardt watching behind.

The trail was very odd. Every so often the older ranger would find a print deeper than the rest. All of the tracks they found had at least two toes showing clearly and the beast seemed to prefer traveling through open fields or under very tall, old growth trees. The little group spoke little as they hiked farther and farther from Eagle Peak, the better to listen and watch for danger.

After nearly a full day of tracking, Joss, Ricardt, Cris and Teilla made camp. Teilla, finding herself overly tense and unwilling to play a tune, took out one of her many copybooks and started carefully sketching a detailed elevation map of the region they had hiked through. They set up watches, but passed the night unmolested by anything larger than a fox.

Halfway through the second day of tracking, Teilla looked up at the surrounding mountains and noticed something out of the ordinary up on one of the slopes where the trees started to thin out. "What's that?" she asked and pointed.

Joss looked up from the slightly washed out print he had been examining and followed the line of the bard's arm. "It looks like a cave."

"Any chance our quarry lairs there?" Ricardt asked.

Joss shrugged, "Possible. We should probably check so if nothing else, we can rule it out. Cris, could you put a stake next to this print so if there's nothing in the cave we can fin this trail again?"

The young ranger nodded and went to cut a reasonable length of pole to use as a marker. After Cris tied a bright red kerchief to the top and planted the stake next to the print, they all hiked up the slope where Teilla saw the cave. On the way up, Cris looked down and called in a worried tone, "Uncle Joss..."

"What is it?" the elder ranger looked back at his nephew. Teilla turned and looked where the young man was looking. A very clear, sharp footprint lay in a patch of ground not covered in autumn leaves. The cave lay a little farther up slope, in view of the party.

"I think we're getting warmer," the bard called back. Ricardt looked at the print, then unslung his shield and loosened his sword in its scabbard.

Joss cautiously crept up to the cave entrance and peered inside. "All clear. You all should come up and take a look at this."

Curious but wary, Cris, Teilla and Ricardt hiked uphill towards the cave. When they got there, they found that it did not extend very far back into the mountainside. Overall, the cavern was a rough dome. Teilla murmured the words to a light spell and sent the resulting glowing puffballs to the top of the chamber, some twelve feet up. The pale light illuminated bones, picked clean and gnawed upon, scattered around the cave. Cris poked at an animal skull, "It looks like a sheep skull."

Joss took up a lookout position at the cave entrance and glanced back at his nephew, "That's because it is a sheep skull. Find anything else?"

"There's writing on the wall here," Ricardt answered. "It looks like Elven but it doesn't read like Elven. A good portion of it is worn away too."

Teilla stepped over the pile of leftovers to look at the writing carved in the stone wall. She peered at the worn inscription, then cast a spell of translation and carefully cast a spell of restoration. "'Claws that catch, teeth that bite,'" she read, "'Bound for a time, but not forever. Blade in hand goes snicker-snack. Must take the head to go triumphant back.' That's weird." The bard wrote the translation down in her copy book.

When she finished and stowed paper and charcoal crayon back in her travel pack she noted, "Well, that was vague and entirely cryptic. Anybody have anything better? Or should I try casting my lore spell now?"

"I might know someone who can help, but I'll need to get a message to them," Joss said slowly. "Even so, they still might not come. You said the script looked like Elven but didn't make any sense in Elven? It might be Sylvan."

"Do you know Sylvan?" Cris asked.

"No, that's why I'm suggesting contacting my friend," the elder ranger explained. "Truth be known, she's closer to the fey than she is to her own kind."

"How about this, Teilla casts the lore spell and you try to contact your friend," Ricardt suggested. "We record everything the lore spell says verbatim and if your knowledgeable friend shows up, she can help interpret."

"I can guard the entrance," Cris offered.

"Works for me," Joss said. He borrowed a scrap of paper from Teilla and went outside to send the note.

As Joss left and Cris took up a lookout spot just outside the entrance, Teilla looked around the shallow cavern and said, "You know, I wonder what a magic sensing would would tell us about this place."

The paladin shrugged, "Cast it and find out. Just warn me when you're going to do that lore spell."

Teilla waved her hands through the air, sang a quick couplet and watched pearly glows rise from her short sword, a bracelet on Cris, Ricardt's sword and shield and a pervasive glow from one side of the chamber. She looked closely at the wall, but could not find anything out of the ordinary about it. She sighed and pulled out the incense and ivory sticks essential to lore spells.

"I'm casting now," she called to the paladin. Ricardt stopped examining the scat on the floor, took up one of Teilla's copybooks and a stick of writing charcoal and then settled back to watch his partner cast. Teilla arranged the ivory into a circle and lit the incense between each ivory piece. She started to recite the long, complicated double sonnet that comprised most of the spell and tacked on what they wanted to know in an ending quatrain.

Within the space made by the ivory slats, the spectral image of a satyr carrying panpipes materialized and said something with the cadence, sound and rhythm of Elven, but not the words. Thoroughly irritated, Teilla glanced over at Ricardt, who furiously scribbled away. The bard grabbed her own scrap of parchment and charcoal and began phonetically writing down everything the spell revealed. The wispy satyr launched into a long, rhymed recitation of something incomprehensible to the paladin and bard. When the ghostly faun finished, he disappeared into sparking motes and faded into nothingness. Teilla looked over at Ricardt and asked, "Did you understand any of that?"

"Not a word," Ricardt shook his head. "Seemed similar to Elven though."

"By the way, the wall opposite the carving radiates magic," she nodded towards the wall in question. "Hey Cris, still there?"

"Yup," the young ranger called. "Didn't understand a word of that either."

Ricardt walked over the the younger man's lookout post at the entrance to the cave, looked around and asked, "Where's Joss?"

"Uncle Joss said he needed a quiet spot to try the sending spell to his friend," Cris looked up at the paladin.

"Ever met this friend?"Teilla asked curiously as she joined the two at the cave mouth. The young ranger shook his head and the bard continued, "Anyway, I figured out what might be causing that cave wall to radiate magic. It could be an illusion or another portal."

"Uncle Joss says that the mountains are peppered with portals," Cris said, then peered down the slope. "Speaking of him, there he is now!"

The paladin and bard looked down towards the valley and could make out the stocky figure of the elder ranger hiking up the hillside towards them. "Good news!" Joss shouted up at them, "That friend of mine..."

"BOO!" a female voice suddenly called from behind Cris, Teilla and Ricardt. Teilla jumped. Cris jumped, then fumbled for his axes whereas Ricardt spun around to face their ambusher with his shield raised and had his sword halfway out of its scabbard before he saw who it was.

As delighted laughter greeted their ears from above them, Joss called up to them, "I was saying, that friend of mine has a sense of humor and is right behind you."

Ricardt lowered his shield, looked at his ambusher sitting above the cave entrance and started chuckling. "You know, most people consider the Stormhorns to be a wide swath of land easy to lose someone in," he told her.

Teilla looked up and grinned, "Let me guess: lots of space, few people and everyone knows each other."

"Exactly," the ambusher shook her cloud grey-white braid out of her hooded coat. "I am going to guess that you two made it to Suzail in one piece."

"Well, since you all clearly have met, I only need to make one introduction," Joss huffed as he approached. He clapped a dumbfounded Cris around the shoulders and said, "Mir, this is my nephew Cris Arogla. Cris, meet Mirandaline Sparrowhawk of Whizban."

"Always happy to meet a new ranger," the elf said as she swung down from the top of the cave opening.

Cris recovered from his surprise to gush enthusiastically, "You're a drow ranger? Like Drizzit?"

Teilla heard a slapping sound behind her and saw that Joss had smacked his forehead in embarrassed frustration. Mirandaline's good humor trickled off her dark face as she glared hard at the younger ranger before turning to Ricardt and Teilla and asking, "So what do you need me for this time?"

Joss swatted a starry eyed Cris upside the head and said, "Talk to the bard and paladin. They found something written in Sylvan and were casting lore spells while I was messaging you. I'm going to examine the scat. I'll also be taking the moony one here and showing him how to identify teeth marks."

Cris looked back and forth between Joss and Mirandaline and asked, "Can't I...?"

"No!" both rangers answered in unison. Joss dragged his nephew into the cave, leaving the paladin and two elf-kin outside to keep a lookout and decipher the results of the lore spell.

"What was that about?" Teilla asked curiously.

"I have heard the rumors and hearsay regarding that one," the elf shrugged, "Some of the same tales that have Cris there so hero worshipful, but please remember that I also talk to Underdark sources. My personal conclusion is that if rumor is true, then that particular renegade is a dolt and I would rather not be compared to such unless I do something stupid."

"Sounds reasonable," Teilla commented. "It is what bards' tales are for at any rate. So, where did you go after you left us with a ride?"

"Talked with Brisslee for a little, went back to the festival," Mirandaline shrugged again. "Got chased around by a couple of mercenary scouts, led them through every patch of poison oak I could find until they gave up, then went and visited with a hermit that lives way up in the peaks. Got Joss's message and came here by way of spells. Nothing much."

"I hope the chasing doesn't happen very often," Ricardt commented.

"Only once or twice a year, if that," the elf gave a very faint smile, "And usually only when I want to get chased."

"I hate to spoil your reunion," Joss called from inside the cave, "But Mir, I would like a second opinion on these leftovers."

Teilla sighed heavily, "All work and no play."

"I don't know about you, but my work is play," Mirandaline said innocently as she walked into the cavern.

"Oh ha, ha," the bard rolled her eyes. "I'm going to examine that wall with the magic glow."

"Sounds like it's my turn to keep a lookout then," Ricardt settled himself by the cave mouth while Teilla went inside.

The bard saw the rangers examining a femur as she turned her attention to the cave wall opposite the inscription. Cracks in the stone made a very rough arch, but when the bard touched it, she encountered nothing more than cool, rough rock. Unperturbed, Teilla started looking around for hidden catches in case the wall turned out to be a secret door. Mirandaline coming up behind her interrupted her inspection, "Teilla, could you tell me what you got from your lore spell?"

Sighing in frustration, the bard turned her attention from the wall to hand over writing materials to the shorter elf and open her copybook to the phonetic rendering of what the spectral satyr had recited. Mirandaline started writing a translation as Teilla read it off as best she could. When the bard finished, the elven ranger looked down at what she had written and frowned, "This does not make any sense whatsoever."

Joss and Criss looked over in the elf-kins' direction as Teilla looked over Mirandaline's page. "What's a jubjub bird?" the bard asked.

"It's a sylvan slang term for a diatryma. Big nasty carnivorous birds," the elf shook her head that is not what I am referring to. Some of these are not any sylvan terms that I know. Unless you happen to know what 'maxnome,' 'uffish' and 'outgrabe' mean or what a 'bandersnatch' is. The ditty also seems to talk about something that gibbers, burbles and whuffles as it walks and has eyes of flame."

The two human rangers and the half human bard all looked at each other. "We might have heard it the evening before last," Cris ventured timidly.

"Wonderful," Mirandaline did not sound cheered. "What's going on with the wall?"

"My guess? Secret door with something magic behind it," Teilla said. "I can't find the catch. What's with the teeth marks?"

"Something that gnaws and has teeth like a rodent made them," Joss looked over at Ricardt, who jogged towards the group. "What are you doing here?"

"What's got wings, something that looks like antlers on its head, very long forepaws, barbels like a carp and front teeth like a rabbit's?" the paladin asked hurriedly.

All three rangers made sure that axes, crossbows and longbow were close at hand. "Let me guess," Teilla grumbled as she loosened her short sword in its scabbard, "It's headed this way."

Ricardt nodded as he joined the party in the middle of the underground chamber. When he did, a soft click resounded through the cave and the wall cracks that Teilla had been inspecting opened to reveal a large glimmering portal.

"Go through or stay here?" Cris asked nervously. Downslope, the creature gave one of its strange, jabbering cries, ending with a whistle.

"Go through," Joss answered his nephew.

Mirandaline nodded her agreement and Ricardt added, "There's no real cover here for an ambush." The group hastened through the oversized portal and collectively hoped for better terrain on the other side.

--)--------

Author's note: I thank all of you who are reading this. I truly appreciate it and I heart you all . Those who want action: trust me, it's coming.


	14. Through and Through

Disclaimer: Go read an earlier one.

--)--------

They stepped from the ill lit cavern into a strange wide corridor with blue light emanating from no distinct source. Ricardt looked quickly around as he stepped through and found that there were little alcoves unevenly spaced down the length of the passageway. The flat nature of the lighting made it difficult to judge distance, but the huge stone hall looked like it continued for a ways. The paladin glanced at the rest of the party and saw that Joss had both of his axes out and ready. Mirandaline tossed something over to Teilla and commenced dragging a scared Cris father down the tunnel, where the longbow she carried could be put to best use. The archer's coat and the young ranger's cloak seemed to change color to match the surrounding rock.

Teilla, whose red hair seemed to glow like an ember in the icy light, tied the elf's pale kerchief over her hair. She gave the paladin a good luck swat on the shoulder and followed the same path Cris and Mirandaline had taken.

Ricardt got his sword out of its scabbard, his shield seated on his arm and flattened himself against the side of the wide corridor facing the portal. Joss took a similar position on the opposite wall and held his axes in guard. A quick glance down the stone hall let the paladin know that Teilla, Cris and Mirandaline had tucked themselves out of immediate line of sight and probably had their own weapons out and ready.

They did not have long to wait before the creature stepped through the portal. Its scales glowed lime green in the strange light as it swung its long neck around, sniffing for them and chattering rodent-like teeth. It practically tripped over Ricardt and Joss where they hid. The ranger and the paladin jumped out of their hiding places to hack at the beast's hamstrings. To their dismay, neither of them succeeded in getting past the thing's scaly hide. Instead, it turned towards Ricardt and a strange voice inserted itself into the paladin's head, _How thoughtful for pretties for my collection to come to me!_

The creature reared up and swiped at Ricardt with its long toed forepaw, nearly bowling Joss over with its tail in the process. The paladin reacted by ducking and trying to slash the limb as it swung past him. Three violet missiles slammed into the beast's long neck, leaving little charred marks in its green hide, followed closely by a crossbow quarrel that bounced off a heavy scale. It swiped at Ricardt again before looking down the corridor to where Mirandaline, Cris and Teilla stood.

As soon as it turned its blank orange glowing eyes towards them, arrow fletching sprouted from one of those strange orbs. It turned away from Ricardt and Joss to face the young ranger, archer and bard and let loose a gibbering cry.

From afar the sound had been disquieting. In the close quarters of the blue lit corridor, the jabbering howl echoed and rebounded into their heads as well as off the walls, eating at their coherence and threatening sanity. Cris cried out and dropped his crossbow. Joss clutched at his head and faltered in following the creature's turn towards the other half of the party. Teilla gritted her teeth and tried to force the sound back by humming a tune. Ricardt felt the effect wash over him, but not enough to prevent him from trying for the thing's hamstrings again. He hit hard enough to bruise but not to cut. Mirandaline responded by putting another arrow next to her first. The creature shrieked in pain.

Teilla recovered enough to start singing a rousing battle song in earnest, chasing away the disorienting noise of the creature's cries. Joss and Cris shook the cobwebs out of their heads and recovered their weapons. Joss again tried for the beast's hind legs as any woodsman would try to fell a tree. Cris reloaded his crossbow and fired a bolt into the creature's neck. It gave a watery whistle of pain and said angrily into their heads, _One, two! One, two! Thou hast not slain me yet!_

The beast turned back to face Ricardt. In the process, it swiped a bat-like wing at Cris and Mirandaline. The elf shoved the young man into their covering alcove ahead of her, narrowly avoiding getting struck by the wingbeat. The paladin hunkered behind his shield as best he could and dodged as the creature slapped at him with long taloned forepaws. Joss launched one of his axes for the beast's neck and missed. The creature lashed its whip-like tail at the ranger and caught him across the ribs. The impact knocked the breath from Joss's lungs and slammed him into the corridor wall.

Cris and Mirandaline looked out of the alcove. The elf stepped away from cover to send another two arrows to bury themselves in the creature's neck. Cris's bolt shattered on the beast's body scales. The creature gave another garbling shriek, but this time the resolution instilled by the bard's singing kept the worst of the sound off of them.

Ricardt took a paw swipe across his right side that threatened to send him spinning into the corridor wall, but instead knocked the paladin to the ground and his longsword out of his hand. The creature leered over the paladin, baring its set of sharp rodent's teeth, _My jaws go snicker-snack too, manling!_

Teilla halted her song to draw breath to throw a spell. Joss got up to charge the creature's flank. A dull boom followed by the scent of ferns resounded through the hallway. The beast reeled as if something large and heavy slammed into its side. Joss switched tactics and started casting a spell instead. Ricardt rolled to his feet and scrambled after his blade. The bard sang a spell and a bright rainbow of colored light sprayed over the beasts head, further disorienting it.

Cris again hit scales with his crossbow and the creature thrashed its wings and tail in irritation. Its gyrations ceased when Joss finished his spell and entangling vines sprang up from the stone floor, binding the beast fast. It shrieked in outrage in their ears and heads as it struggled to free itself, _I will have thou for my mantle!_

Teilla suddenly had an idea and shouted, "Aim for the neck!"

"What?" Joss asked.

"The inscription!" she called back. "'Must take the head to go triumphant back!' We'll try to pin the thing down!" The bard spun her hands through another spell to daze the creature.

"Off with its head then," Ricardt grunted as he recovered his sword and ran towards the entangled creature. Joss raised his one remaining ax for a downward stroke, but the thing snaked its head around and bit the ranger in the shoulder.

_Behold the Jabberwock, thy doom!_ the beast crowed into their minds as it reared up out of the entangling vines, still holding joss's shoulder firmly in its jaws. It shook the dangling ranger like a dog with a rat before tossing joss at Cris and Mirandaline.

The air around the elven archer seemed to thicken with the smell of damp ferns and Joss's flight slowed. He hit the ground at bruising speed rather than breakneck and skidded to where Mirandaline stood. Cris darted towards the moaning ranger and cried, "Uncle Joss!"

"Pull him back and get something clean over those wounds!" Mirandaline ordered the younger ranger and sent another arrow winging for the beast's head. Ricardt swung at the "jabberwock's" neck and scored a slice along the creature's jawline. It gave a piercing shriek and rained slashes down at the paladin.

The paladin again weathered the battering and slashed at the creature's neck when it came within reach. "Someone kick Joss's ax to me!" he shouted, "And think of a way to get its head down!"

"There's an idea," Joss muttered through his pain and nudged his remaining ax towards the bard.

Teilla kicked it as close to Ricardt as she could and asked Mirandaline, "Can you do whatever you did earlier again?"

"Not nearly as strong as before, but yes," the elf answered, "Think you can distract the jabberwock or whatever it is for a moment or two?"

"Nothing to do but try." The bard started to sing again. Instead of a rousing battle song, she wove a far more complicated melody and threw it over the creature like a net.

The jabberwock turned its remaining flame orange eye to regard the elf-kin and thought at them, _Thou shalt be the centerpieces to my collection, little nightingales. _

Ricardt took advantage of the momentary distraction to set his sword down, take up the ax on the ground and get into better position on the creature's side. A sharp pop and the verdant aroma of ferns announced Mirandaline's contribution. The kinetic push, aimed at the base of the creature's skull, shoved the jabberwock's head down to within easy reach of the paladin.

Ricardt swung the ax as hard as he could and shouted, "Tyr!" His first stroke bit deep into muscle, sinew and arteries. The creature flailed about weakly and the paladin took a second stroke, this time shearing through bone as well as muscle.

As the jabberwock's body twitched about in its death throes, Ricardt jogged over to where Teilla, Mirandaline and Cris turned their full attention to Joss's wounds. "I'm getting too old for these shenanigans," the ranger groaned.

"He's going to be all right, isn't he?" Cris asked in a small voice as Ricardt came up.

Teilla took the young man by the shoulders and moved him back to give the paladin some room and assured him, "He'll be fine. Just wait a moment."

Ricardt summoned up his faith and poured it into healing. Joss's wounds closed and the ranger relaxed, then grimaced at the residual stiffness and the sticky bloodstains. Cris blew a huge sigh of relief. "Thank Mielikki that's over with," Joss grunted as he sat up. "Next time I'll leave flying to the birds."

Teilla looked around at the group. Ricardt busily chanted another healing prayer into his ribs. Joss and Cris produced a sack and started getting the jabberwock's head into it. Mirandaline poked farther up the corridor. "Is anyone else curious about the collection that thing kept mentioning?" the bard asked the room in general.

"What did you think I was looking for?" the archer called back. "Incidentally, there's a side passage up here. Care to check it out with me?"

"We'll be along in a minute," the paladin shooed Teilla towards the waiting elf. Louder he added, "Give a yell if something comes up!"

Teilla walked down the strange corridor to where Mirandaline stood. The blue lit hallway seemed to stretch on forever as she neared the elf. "Neat trick isn't it?" the archer grinned. "You can't get past this point, but the tunnel seems to go on." Mirandaline pointed to the bard's left, "If you stand here and look back, the next passageway is pretty obvious."

Teilla came up next to the elf and looked back towards Ricardt, Joss and Cris. On the right hand wall, A patch of soft white light illuminated a grey stone alcove. Upon further examination, the niche clearly became another hallway. "Think we should call the boys over for this?" the bard asked.

"Why not?" Mirandaline shrugged, then gave a loud sharp whistle. When the paladin and two rangers looked up in her direction, the elf waved them all over. Cris shouldered the bag with the jabberwock's head in it before starting forward with Ricardt and Joss.

When the men caught up, they all stepped into the new side tunnel. It opened up into a large hallway of a size with the blue lit corridor. The side hall seemed comprised of grey stone with flecks of crystal in it and the soft light seemed to be emanating from where the ceiling and walls joined to better illuminate the stone. "Why would anything want to look at rock walls rather than where their feet are going?" Joss wondered out loud as they walked down the hallway.

"Maybe the jabberwock was mining something," Cris suggested. "Or maybe it was crazy."

Ricardt looked at the grey stone wall where one of the pools of light seemed to center and gently tapped at the rock. The section of rock remained solid but became as transparent as glass and lit from within. The paladin looked through the crystal and said, "Teilla?"

"What?" the bard looked back to see him staring at the wall.

"Take a look," He gestured at the crystalline section of wall. Teilla, Joss, Cris and Mirandaline crowded around the paladin and looked into the quartz clear stone.

Utterly still and trapped like a fly in amber, stood a tall Purple Dragon knight, his sword raised for a downward slash and a shield on his arm. Cris tapped at the next section with a small spotlight and it too lit up and became transparent, displaying a monk with the red arm wraps of an adherent to Illmater frozen in a guard stance.

"I think we found the jabberwock's collection," Teilla noted.

--)--------

Added Disclaimer: The jabberwock is not mine, he is the invention of Lewis Carroll. The description written here is taken from the illustration by John Tenniel and the skit that the Muppet Show did.

Author's note: I apologize to those of you who have been waiting, but it takes me forever to script out battle scenes. I do hope it was amusing though. As always, please leave a review.


	15. A New Leaf

Disclaimer: Some of this came from someone else, the rest is my own invention.

--)--------

They found a total of eight people caught in the stone in the jabberwock's display hall. Among them was Carad Yseph, the novice paladin Ricardt was supposed to find. "This reminds me of the basement of the monastery's northern outpost," Mirandaline commented.

Ricardt looked askance at the archer. "They had people trapped in crystal in the basement?" The paladin's disapproval leaked through his tone.

"No, the place had been abandoned for a long time. Goblins had moved in," the elf clarified. "Also there were not any humans in that collection. There was a blink dog, an illithid, an umber hulk, a satyr warrior and a few other interesting creatures."

"I take it you didn't turn them loose," Teilla sighed.

"Can I have my kerchief back?" the elf asked. Teilla started to untie the pale grey cloth from around her red hair. Mirandaline moved closer to the half elf to take it back and said softly, "We did get them out intact and well. At least they started out in one piece, some of the attacked the monks that got them loose."

"And you aren't telling anyone else this because...?" the bard waited for an explanation.

"I've never seen these people before," Mirandaline coiled and pinned her cloud grey braid around her head and tied the kerchief over it all. "What do you think a typical paladin's reaction would be if he saw me without knowing anything about me or Whizban?"

"Oh," Teilla did see the problem. She also saw an additional precaution to add to the half drow's kerchief as well as a guess as to why the elf did not simply tell them how to get the people out of the crystal and then part ways again. The bard smirked, "Why I do believe you're considering traveling with us."

"Only because Farnier, Lannlia, Gorbsen, Sandra, Marco, Josie, Zorac, Brisslee and no less than four other dryads, two satyrs and three nymphs have told me that I should get out and travel more. That's far too much of the same opinion from different people for me not to take seriously," Mirandaline stated flatly. "Corellon's sword, even the hermit I visited this week said so!"

"Makes perfect sense to me," Teilla agreed. "So, Ricardt and me or Joss and Cris?"

"Neither yet," the archer pointed at the crystal displays, "We need to get them out first."

"Right," the bard turned back to the problem at hand. She rummaged around in her pack until she came up with a small clay pot and brush and handed both to Mirandaline. "By the way you might find that useful. So, how do we break them out of the crystal?"

"Break the crystal," the elf said simply as she opened the little pot and looked at the dark paste inside. "You're right. This really isn't your color."

"So we break the crystal or so I hear?" Joss called from in front of a frozen lady spell caster with her hands frozen in some sort of arcane pass.

"Make at least one crack all the way through to the person trapped inside and they come tumbling right out," Mirandaline called back. "They'll probably be considerably disoriented though."

"Good to know," Ricardt said. "Teilla and Mir? Have any spells that would make this easier?"

The elf shook her head, "Not me. Most of what I can do centers around moving things."

"I've got a melody that shatters glass," Teilla nodded. "You might want to stand back since I'm not sure how many of the cells will be affected."

"Cast from there and we'll stand way back here," Joss suggested.

"There's a plan," Mirandaline agreed and jogged behind the paladin and two rangers, swiftly brushing the bard's lash darkener over eyebrows and lashes.

The bard sang a discordant melody and four of the cells shattered, spilling confused people into the hallway. As Joss, Cris, Mirandaline and Ricardt ran out and pulled the wizard, Illmaterran monk, Purple Dragon knight and a druid wearing mostly leaves out of the field of sharp crystal, Teilla called, "I've only got one more of those spells left for the day."

"That's all right," Joss said. "Cast it and Cris and I will take whoever else falls out ahead to Eagle Peak and you all can meet up with us later after you get the rest out."

Teilla nodded and cast the shatter spell again. She got lucky and the rest of the captives fell out of their crystal displays. She helped a comely brunette man with a small lyre case strapped in among his effects to stand up. Movement caught the half elf's eye and she noticed a few crystal fragments skittering along the hallway floor. She looked closer and saw that most of the crystalline shrapnel on the floor busily swept themselves into little out of the way piles. The bard got a whiff of damp greens and figured Mirandaline had set herself to clearing the area.

When everyone looked like they could walk in a straight line again, the paladin, bard, archer and two rangers shooed the captives out past the jabberwock's body through the portal and into the woods towards Eagle Peak.

--)--------

When they left the jabberwock's lair, the sun was starting to sink towards the western Stormhorns. Most of the captives were all members of the company of adventurers hired by Eagle Peak that did not return. They decided to find their own way back and parted company with Ricardt, Teilla, Mirandaline, Joss, Cris, Carad and Orsinio the Purple Dragon knight.

After the bulk of the captives wandered off, Joss took a look at the setting sun and suggested, "How about we camp a bit further downslope?"

At everyone's nods, the elder ranger led them down into the valley meadow below the jabberwock's cave and started looking for a decent campsite. Mirandaline disappeared to scare up some rabbits for the stew pot. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Joss found a suitable campsite under a large oak tree and set Cris to gathering firewood while everyone else cleared enough of the fallen leaves away to make a decent fire pit. Joss, Ricardt, Carad and Orsinio drew lots for watches while Teilla rummaged around the supplies to make a decent stew out of whatever the elf brought back. When Cris came back with an armful of deadwood, Joss went over to observe his nephew starting a fire.

Ricardt took the opportunity to draw Carad aside to hear what had happened to the sandy haired novice paladin. The young knight explained his misadventure excitedly and in great detail. When Carad finished, Ricardt frowned, "So let me see if I have this correct. Your strategy for drawing the jabberwock out was to shout challenges to it while standing in an open field by yourself."

"Yes sir," the younger paladin said boldly. "It worked too."

"That would depend on your definition of 'worked,'" Joss commented from by the fire.

"Joss, if you would be so kind as to let me handle this?" Ricardt stated in a stern tone. The elder ranger shrugged in response and went back to adding a few more logs to the campfire. The paladin noted that Mirandaline had reappeared with two dressed rabbits in hand. She quartered the coneys and added them to the stew. Ricardt idly noted that the archer looked a good deal like a wild elf with her hair color hidden. She acted like one for the most part anyway. He turned his attention back to Carad, "Has it occurred to you since your capture and release that a better plan might have been in order?"

"But we are taught to confront our foes boldly," Carad said, confused. "Because we have Tyr's justice on our side."

"The exceptions to that lesson are chromatic dragons and dragon kin, demons and devils," Ricardt said evenly. "Did you talk to the villagers at all or try to get look at it before you rushed in?"

"I was given all I needed to know when Valor Hall sent me," the novice Tyrran said sullenly. "And it wasn't a dragon."

"Wings, sort of intelligent, hoarding behavior and carnivorous," the raven haired paladin ticked the points off. "Fortunately, I am not the one you are going to have to explain yourself to. Hammerlord Trannas will be interested in hearing about this." Carad paled and Ricardt added in a gentler tone, "Your father will be overjoyed to see you well."

The younger paladin brightened up and Ricardt pushed him back towards the group. Joss, Orsinio and Cris busily traded tales with each other. Teilla and Mirandaline spoke in low voices together in Elven. Ricardt settled in for a quiet night and return trip.

--)--------

Late the next day, the troupe made it to Eagle Peak. Ricardt presented the jabberwock's head to the town spokesman and they all headed out of the little caravan stop. Joss, Cris and Mirandaline parted ways from Ricardt, Teilla, Orsinio and Carad to head off into the wilds of the Stormhorns.

The dark haired paladin noted the half elf's smug expression as the rangers left and said, "You look like the cat who just swallowed the canary. Do I get to know why?"

"Teilla smirked, "Eventually." The bard waved to the departing rangers. Ricardt did the same.

--)--------

A few weeks later, Ricardt delivered Carad to his very relieved father Tristan in Suzail. After a lukewarm congratulations from Hammerlord Trannas, the dark haired paladin walked back to the Happy Whistle, where he and Teilla were staying. Orsinio had rejoined his fellow Purple Dragons the day before. He wondered if a change of pace might be in order as he walked into the tavern's common room and looked around for the red haired bard.

He found her sitting with someone else in the back of the Whistle's common room. Both the red haired half elf and the full blood elf in the grey kerchief next to her were smiling, thoroughly pleased with themselves. "You two planned this, didn't you?" Ricardt accused them.

Both elf-kin nodded smugly. "Joss wanted and needed a good calm area to teach Cris woodscraft," Mirandaline explained, "But one with enough strange situations so they wouldn't get completely bored. I talked it over with them and they've agreed to look after Whizban for me. Teilla wants to learn hand cant. I can try teaching her and keep myself in practice too. And everyone I know has told me to go out and see the world."

"And having me and Teilla around reduce your chances of getting shot on sight," Ricardt observed with a sigh. "All right you two, I agree. Did one of you have a destination in mind?"

"I've heard the Sword Coast is lovely in the winter," Teilla beamed.

"I'll take almost anywhere but Cormanthor and Evereska," the archer chimed in. "When can we leave? This place feels too crowded."

"Tomorrow at the earliest," Ricardt said and shrugged. "Who knows, maybe I won't be such a black sheep among my fellow paladins there."

"It's all right to be a black sheep if you've got a flock around you," Teilla said gently.

"_Aillesel seldarie_," Mirandaline rolled her eyes. "Whatever possessed me to fall in with philosophers?"

"We'll get going tomorrow then," the bard grinned. "May we live in interesting times."

"I can think of two different languages where that translates into a curse," the paladin noted.

"I can add another four to your list," Mirandaline commented. "Maybe we'll get lucky and the times won't catch up with us."

--)--------

Aillesel seldarie – May the Seldrine save us

Author's note:

Ahh, the feeling of satisfaction when something is completed. Please leave me a review with your views because I'm sure the review button would like the attention. Thank you for reading this story to it's end.


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